


Unniedul, Saranghae ❤

by Izarakovic



Category: Mamamoo, TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Animal Transformation, Cameos, F/F, Not Really Character Death, Other Fandoms Not Mentioned in Tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-07-17 12:03:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 95,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16095287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izarakovic/pseuds/Izarakovic
Summary: Four young women entangled themselves in fate, younger sisters and a struggle to grow together as oneorKim Yongsun met a bat. Suddenly her life got a bit more interesting





	1. The Sun and The Three Little Critters

Chapter 01

 

_Yongsun's POV_

 

"Good morning, unnie!"

I turn my head as I heard a greeting from my left side. A familiar neighbor girl smiled at me as she waved her hand. I returned her wave after I finished locking the door of my house.

"Good morning, Wheein-ah."

Jung Wheein, a student at Seoul University who rented a house a few houses down from mine, walked cheerfully by my side clutching her backpack. Wheein and I are close, especially because her campus and my workplace are located in the same area. We left or went home together for almost every day.

She also loves to spend the night at my house. Usually, its when she's bored or afraid to sleep alone. Because of our frequent meeting, I already thought of Wheein as my own younger sister.

"Its unusual for Yongsun-unnie to left early. What's wrong?" she asked, starting the conversation.

"Well, my boss called me and asked for a file that I brought home. A sudden meeting, he said," I sighed. "What about you, Wheein-ah? Aren't your class starts at eight?"

Wheein frowns. "Hyejin left her assignment at my house, Unnie. She's supposed to collect it before eight. And you know how Mr. Kim is if we're late!"

"Hyejin? Ah, I'm not surprised," I laughed, remembering Hyejin.

Ahn Hyejin is Wheein's close friend at the campus. If there's any group assignment, Wheein always invites Hyejin to her house or to even stop by mine. They also spend time studying together when there's an exam coming up. That's why I know that Hyejin has a bad habit of leaving her things at Wheein's house.

"Right!" Wheein huffed angrily. "I mean she's turning 21 this year! Why can't she be a bit more considerate of her stuff?"

I just nodded while listening to Wheein. One, because I'm already used to her venting about Hyejin. And two is because I know that anger will disappear after they met each other.

I mean ... Hyejin is smart at bribing people. While Wheein is weak to bribes, especially to ice cream.

"To top it off, unnie, my children fight a lot lately, I'm tired," Wheein said, continuing her complaint.

I raise my eyebrows. "Your children? You mean Ggomo?"

Wheein sighed tiredly. "You could say so..."

"I don't remember you adopt a second cat."

"Hmmm ... how to explain?" Wheein stares into the sky as if she's looking for inspiration. "They're not cats... actually. But, ugh. It's hard, unnie! Especially if one of them is narcissistic while the other one is a savage!"

"What?" I nearly hollered in laughter when I heard Wheein's description of her new pets. "Hahaha, Wheein-ah! You said that as if they were humans!"

Wheein just pouted while hitting my arm slowly.

It doesn't take long for me to arrive at my office and with that, I said goodbye to Wheein.

My day at the office was pretty relaxed. Other than the sudden request of the files, the day pass by slowly as nothing else in particular happens.

As usual, I went home at five in the afternoon. Today I walked home alone because Wheein said there were additional assignments on campus. The sun had begun to sink as I turned into the street of my residential complex.

I casually walked to the door of my house, and that's when I saw a black shadow on the corner of the roof. The mysterious hanging object has two bright yellow spheres at its very bottom. I blinked in confusion. The two circles blinked back.

"Why is there a bat here?" I muttered to myself. The black furry animal remained motionless, but its mouth opened to form an arch. Waw, the animal smiled at me.

I replied to its smile and returned to unlock my house.

...

Wait.

Bats don't smile.

I quickly turned my head to the point of nearly dislocating my neck, glaring at the bat. But the creature just smiled (grinned?) even wider, tilting its head as if asking, 'what's wrong?'

I'm having goosebumps. Okay, this is weird. There is no such thing as a smiling animal, Kim Yongsun. You're hallucinating. What happened to me? Maybe I ate the wrong food. Director Park gave me a donut today. He wouldn't be as evil as to drug me, right? Is there a possibility that it was stale? Maybe it was stale. It might explain the hallucination.

I tried not to steal another glance at the black furry creature while I entered the house. As soon as I'm inside, I slam the door close and lock it. For a moment I fell silent, trying to calm myself from the most absurd events I might have experienced in the 27 years I lived.

I wanted to run straight to the room, but my sense of curiosity made me peek out of the window. The bat is still at the corner of the roof, but its eyes are not visible anymore. Is it asleep?

My body slowly slumped to the floor.

"Calm down, Yongsun. Deep breath, deep breath... the bat was **not** smiling at you. You're making things up... it was the donut I swear. I'm going to ask Mr. Park about that and–"

Before I could finish my sentence, my stomach growled.

"...not the donut, I guess. I'm probably too hungry," I exclaimed, not wanting to put the blame on Mr. Park. He's been a very nice director there's zero percent of him suddenly developed a desire to poison me.

Well, I've got to eat now. I don't even bother to look at my fridge. It's been a busy week I barely have time to buy groceries. So I simply change my work clothes into a t-shirt and shorts while typing some delivery number on my phone.

While waiting for my food, I proceed to lay down on the couch and flipped through the TV channels. There's not really anything that catches my attention so I decided to turn it off. I was in the middle of contemplating whether to take a bath or to keep on lazing around until my food arrive when a soft rustling sound echoes from my front door.

My neighborhood is regarded as a safe one, but I can't help to be a bit wary. I mean, who the hell loiters around in front of people's door at this time of the day?

I grab an umbrella on my way to the front door. I cautiously peek through the window to see any suspicious movement.

Surprisingly, there's nothing on my front porch. Only some pots of flowers Hyejin gave me a few months earlier. I was just returning to the couch when the rustling starts again. This time I slammed my door open with my umbrella pointed like a sword.

"Who's there!"

Still no one.

I'm starting to get nervous again but a loud squeak broke me from my trance. I turn my head to see the bat from before flapping its wings a few meters from me. It squeaks one more time, watching me with its unblinking bright yellow eyes then turned around and flew away.

I stood there for a few moments with my jaw hanging open.

Why is it squeaking at me like that? First the smile and now? Is it trying to communicate with me?

I haven't found the answer to my questions when the bat returns. It squeaks again, louder this time and flies closer to me. I swatted it away but it keeps on squeaking loudly, flying around me with apparent urgency.

To be honest, I'm afraid of a lot of animals. For as long as I live, I dare only to get close to and touched dogs, cats, cows, and some more barn animals. Before this, I'm pretty sure I will scream my lungs out (or probably fainted) if I see a bat flying less than five meters from me.

Maybe it's the eyes, or the not-so-normal smile it gave me, but there's something strange about the bat that made me intrigued.

So I grabbed a pair of sandals and follow the bat into the street.

###

Now, I should have thought this more thoroughly. The streets are dark, with only a few street lamps illuminating both of us. The bat I'm following is black, and I forgot my phone which means I'll have no means of communication or light source in case I lost the bat.

For probably five minutes after we left my house, it's been flying fast, guiding me into some alleys I didn't know existed before. Thankfully, as the lamps grow dimmer, the bat seems to realizes that I have difficulty seeing in the dark and flies closer.

It squeaks as if asking whether I'm alright.

Emphasis on _as if_ , but I still responded to it.

"I'm okay."

It squeaks again, seemingly satisfied with my answer and turned its attention back to the alleys.

...

I seriously have to get myself checked.

Suddenly the bat halts, and it screeches, very loudly this time, into the darkness. I'm not really surprised when another screeching sound answers the bat. There's a soft pit-a-patting sound, like some animal's paws on the hard concrete. I squint to see any movement and nearly choke on my own spit when I see a fluffy ball of a hamster scurries across the alleys.

I stood there dumbly as I watch those two animals screaming at each other. Questions running through my head.

Are they're communicating? How on earth does a bat communicate with a hamster? I might not like animals that much but at least I _know_ they belong to a different family. And it certainly doesn't register to me why do a bat and a hamster are having a conversation in the middle of the night.

After a loud and heated argument(?), both the bat and the hamster returned their attention to me. I gulped nervously, feeling as if I'm being judged. The bat squeaks again, flying next to me and poke my shoulder with its claws. The hamster follows, closing its distance to me.

I don't know what to do at this extremely bizarre situation so I just nod and gulped audibly.

"Are you guys trying to show me something?" I asked slowly. By this point I'm actually won't be surprised even if the hamster starts dancing randomly. So when it nods, I spoke again. "Show me, then."

The speed of which the hamster run into the alleys is actually pretty impressive. I jog to where it disappeared, the bat following closely beside me. It only takes three turns for me to discover something even crazier.

There, behind a dumpster, lay a small penguin with its eyes closed. The hamster stood by the penguin, looking distressed as it nuzzles it companion's flippers.

I don't really have time to ask why on earth is there a penguin walks around my neighborhood in the middle of a fucking summer, accompanied by a hamster and bat, because I saw patches of red on its white feathers.

"Omo, are you hurt?" I blurted spontaneously.

The penguin cracked its eye open, squawking meekly. I almost couldn't hear it even when it's so silent around us. I took it upon myself to check the avian's well being, and true enough, there's a deep gash on its left flipper that's oozing with blood.

I carefully tucked the small bird into my arms, cautious of its bleeding limb and walked away. Soft flapping sounds and small squeaks tell me that the bat and the hamster are following me home.

My food had arrived and is put on my front porch before the four of us reaches my house. Thank god I've already paid it online, or else the delivery man would be so weirded out by my three companions.

I put the penguin gently on my couch, letting the bat and the hamster roam around it while I search for some first aids. I return with a bowl of water, a small towel, antiseptics, gauzes and a roll of bandage to find the three small creatures huddled up together.

I can't help but chuckle at the adorable sight.

"Scram, you," I said jokingly to the hamster that's laying on the penguin's left side. It squeaks, protesting but moved away nonetheless.

I assess the penguin's wound once more. It doesn't seem so severe that it needs stitches, and the blood had stopped flowing out, so I just wipe the wound until it's clean from dried blood. I applied some antiseptics and close the wound with gauzes. To keep the gauzes from falling down, I tied a bandage circling its flipper.

"You're okay now, little one. I'll call animal control by tomorrow morning to see if there are reports of missing zoo animals. Until then, you'll be safe here," I said to all three of them.

"Are you hungry?"

Squeak.

"What do you guys eat?"

Squeak.

"Hmm... I guess... fish for you, penguinnie?" I turned my head to the penguin. It squawks happily, so I went to my delivery food box, grateful for the sudden urge to eat Japanese food earlier.

I opened the box to find a beautifully arranged sashimi meant to fill my hunger tonight. But these animals need food, so I (albeit unwillingly) gave the raw fish meats to the wounded bird. After that, I rummage through my fridge to find some fruits. I found two apples from a few days ago, deciding that it's not rotten yet and gave both to the bat and the hamster.

As those three eat in silence, I found myself watching them fondly. All the weirdness aside, those animals are actually kind of cute. They seem to be close to each other, evident from the way they cuddle and how the bat and the hamster care for the penguin.

Not many animals know to find help from humans when their friend is in danger, after all.

Speaking about danger, it occurred to me that a penguin is supposed to live in a cold place or it will suffer from heatstroke. At least, that's what I think.

"Hey, penguinnie," the animal lifts its head and stare at me with its brown eyes. "Look, I don't know if you'll understand or not, but do you want to sleep somewhere cold? I have an air conditioner in my room and –why the heck am I talking to you like this?"

I'm really starting to reconsider my own sanity, but the penguin (if it's even possible) beamed at me and waddled to my feet. I shrugged, leading the avian into my room while listening to its soft steps against the floor. A loud screech suddenly echoes from the living room, followed by flurries of wings. I turned my head to find the bat flying slightly above the penguin's head and the hamster grabbing its healthy limb.

I sighed.

"You guys won't let each other go, don't you?"

The bat screeches, quietly.

"Fine, get inside, all of you," I open the door, letting the three animals swarm my room. They stood silently behind me as I arrange some pillows on the floor.

"You guys can sleep here, don't you dare climb onto my bed," I warned the penguin and the hamster, as the bat choose to hang itself upside down at the corner of my room. Both squeaks at my warning then proceed to lay on the pillows.

As I contemplate what to do now as the animals are all asleep, I managed to catch a glimpse at the calendar to find that tomorrow is a national holiday. That means I don't have to go to work.

"Well, I guess I can sleep early and search for any information about these three tomorrow," I said, making a mental note to myself.

I went through my nightly ritual, locking all the doors and windows then turned off the lamps. Before I fell asleep, I throw one last glace to the huddled animals, wishing them a good night and close my eyes.

###

Hot.

Despite the low rumble of my aircon, the air feels really hot to my skin tonight. Or, more like, the skin of my left arm. My right arm that's placed near the wall of my room is still freezing cold.

There's something hot enveloped itself at my left side.

Speaking of enveloping, there's also something long and heavy drapes itself across my stomach. Struggling to pry my eyes open, I tried to have a good look on whatever thing is disturbing my beauty sleep.

I saw black. Black... lines. Lots of black lines.

No, wait.

Is that hair?

My eyes snapped open in realization that _someone_ sleeps next to me. And by the sensation on my left arm, I'm 100% sure that this _someone_ is definitely _naked_. My free arm blindly gropes in the dark, finding the switch and quickly turned the lamp on.

The blinding white light hurt my eyes, but as the pain subsided, I do a double take on whatever being sleeping next to me.

It's a girl.

A very _naked_ girl with black hair hugging my arm tightly as if it's a lifeline.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

The girl jumped as I scream my signature dolphin scream, tripping herself on my blanket then fell down to the floor with a loud thud. She's groaning in pain, but before I could continue my screaming, two other voice resounds from the other side of my room.

"What was that?!"

"Oh my God!"

Much to my horror, two other naked girls showed up in my room. One with straight dark red hair yawning at the corner of my room, while the other one with orange streaks on her brown hair is sitting beside my closet. As I tried to process what the hell is happening, the one hugging me slowly rise to her feet, wrapping my blanket around her bare body.

I sprang into action, standing tall on top of my bed clutching my pillow in front of my chest. At least I'm still clothed, meaning that whoever these three are, I wasn't doing anything R-rated with them last night.

"W-who are you?!" I shout, pointing my pillow to the black haired one in case she decides to attack me.

"Mina."

"Dahyun."

"Jihyo."

"I wasn't asking that!" I point my pillow to the one speaking last, the red haired girl at the corner of my room.

"But you asked who we are!" the one sitting beside my closet–Dahyun?–stands and yelled at me.

"Shut up!" I threw my pillow to the girl. It hit her right on her head. She cries in pain, dramatically rolls on the floor while holding her forehead.

"Umm, unnie, I'm sorry. We're sorry. We'll explain but please, calm down," the black haired one–Mina?–extends her left arm trying to soothe my panicking ass. I couldn't help but notice that a portion of her upper arm is wrapped by a bandage.

"How am I supposed to calm down when three naked stranger showed up in my room?!!" I spat, making the black haired girl flinched at my tone.

"Don't be angry to Minari!!!" Jihyo–the red haired one–jumped in front of Mina, probably trying to protect her from my wrath. Nice timing because I happen to quickly snatched another pillow and hurled it straight at Jihyo's face.

"Explain all you want, but don't you dare to get close to me or I'll throw my entire bedroom to you and destroy your pretty faces," I growled, warning Mina with my tight grip at a picture frame.

"I won't, I won't," she softly said, retracting her arm and hugging herself.

"Unnie, I know this will be really difficult to understand, but you're the one who invited us all into your home," she spoke slowly. And really softly I'm struggling to hear her sentence.

"What do you mean by that?"

"What we meant," Jihyo suddenly butted in, staring at me with eyes I felt somehow familiar. "Is this."

There's a poof in the air that made me close my eyes. When I open it again, the three girls are gone. But in their place, are the three animals I rescued earlier. The small penguin flapped its flippers, showing me its bandaged left limb that's suspiciously looks like Mina's arm.

"Hello, unnie," the bat squeaks, but this time I fully understand what it's talking about. "I'm Jihyo. This penguin here is Mina and that hamster is Dahyun. It's really nice to meet you, unnie."

.

.

.

I'm sorry, what?

This is too much for me to digest in such a short amount of time. I look at Jihyo, then at Mina, then Dahyun, back to Mina and last to Jihyo. She raised her wings, squeaking happily. But I don't understand? I couldn't grasp the concept that a person is able to transform into an animal at wish.

Why? How? What for?

My brain shortcircuited before I decided to do what I do best.

I faint.

 

_To be continued..._


	2. To Put it Simply...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mina tried to explain

Chapter 02

 

_Yongsun's POV_

 

"Alright, so..." I start, rubbing my temple in fatigue. It's been an hour since I regain consciousness, fifty eight minutes since I ordered the girls to wear some clothes from my closet, fourteen minutes since Jihyo finally found a fitting top, twelve minutes since Dahyun nearly set my kitchen on fire, ten minutes since Mina made me a cup of tea, nine minutes since we re-introduced ourselves and five minutes since we sat together in silence.

Right now I'm slouching on my bed, face-to-face with the three girls sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"About this entire... human turns animal, animal turns human... stuff. Care to give me a little light?" I asked the girls carefully. Even if we started on a wrong foot, they actually care enough about me that they don't leave in the two hours when I passed out. Maybe I have to try and listen to them this time.

Jihyo, who I noticed as the spokesperson of the three, opens her mouth. "Yes, unnie, we will. First of all, I, on behalf of Mina and Dahyun, too, apologize for our sudden arrival. We also apologize for giving you a scare when you're barely awake."

"Nah," I wave my hand, dismissing Jihyo's apology. "I'm also sorry for yelling and attacking you like that. I could be really violent when I'm scared or surprised."

"Oh, no, no, your reaction is very much expected, unnie," Jihyo grins. "It's alright, we've been warned before."

I nod, gesturing for Jihyo to continue.

"Back to topic though. About what you asked, unnie. To put it simply, we are not humans. Technically, we're not even from this world."

A pause. Jihyo's probably waiting for me to say something as I only stare blankly at her. "Okay. You're not human. So what are you?"

Jihyo glances at Mina. The penguin girl seems taken aback, but speaks up nonetheless. "We're... we're Anihumans, unnie. We are considered not human as we're... able to transform into an animal at will. Just... like what you saw earlier."

Mina spoke softly, making me able to digest her words more thoroughly, but Jihyo nudged her rib and hissed.

"I thought you'll say more than that!"

"I'm nervous..!" Mina hissed back.

"You're the ace of the academy, you're supposed to be our spearhead to explain everything when we arrive here!" Jihyo speaks through gritted teeth.

I lift my eyebrow when I hear them hissing at each other. "Wow, hey, stop fighting. It's okay, Jihyo, Mina. I'm actually starting to figure this out," I said trying to defuse the situation.

Both look at me in awe. Both, because Dahyun seems to be deep in thought.

"So," I cleared my throat. "You guys are Anihumans. You're basically an upgraded human, huh? Having two forms like that must be exciting. And you came from another world... another dimension.. to the human world. May I ask, what for?"

This time, Dahyun lit up and answers my question. "All young Anihumans are required to travel to the human world and live here for a while, unnie. All of our teachers back at the academy said that if we live with humans, we'll learn a lot of things! So we must stay here and live with a kind-hearted human until further notice."

"What does 'kind-hearted human' mean?" I asked again, suddenly feeling cautious.

"Those are humans who are willing to take us into their care," Dahyun cheered, then quickly moved to hug my arm. "Like Yongsun-unnie!"

I'm aghast. "I do not..–"

Dahyun looks at me with her puppy –no, hamster eyes. I tried to evade her pleading stare only to find Jihyo smiling expectantly and Mina turned into full aegyo mode.

"Please, unnie?" the soft-spoken penguin pleads, and I feel my resolution crumbling.

"I... I..."

God, these three are too cute I can't–

"A minute, please!" I yelled, pushing Dahyun away from me. "I haven't fully understood your situation yet. Besides, there's still a lot I want to ask. I won't –stop pouting, Dahyun– make any decisions until everything's clear. Okay?"

A chorus of 'okay' echoes on the wall.

"Good. First question. After your period of living with a human, what will happen to you?"

Jihyo raises her hand.

"What will happen to us is that we will go through several test. Those tests are meant to see our growth, and to determine if we're worthy to become a ruler."

"Ruler? Ruler to what?"

"Ruler to a territory."

"What territory?"

Jihyo ponders for a bit, giving an opportunity for Dahyun to talk.

"Our world, unnie, is divided into hundreds, if not thousands of territory. Just like humans' nations! These territories are ruled by a group of Anihumans. Only perfect Anihumans are able to rule a territory. They live there for years until the next group takes over. After that, the retired Anihumans become the residents of said territory until their very last breath."

I nod, absorbing Dahyun's every word.

"So... Anihumans need to live with humans, then took the test to ascertain their worth. Only if they pass that they're able to become ruler?"

Dahyun seems to be so proud that I understand what she said. "Yes, That's how it is."

"Then what about 'perfect Anihumans'?" I continue our QnA session.

Both Dahyun and Jihyo simultaneously look at Mina. The previously dazed girl blinks when she feels all attentions are directed to her. "W-What?"

"Minari, you explain," Jihyo said in a commanding tone.

"N-no! I can't! Why don't you explain it... yourself?" she shook her head rapidly, in which Jihyo answers with a shrug.

"You know back at the Academy I failed on that subject three times to the point that Sunmi-sunbaenim threatened to straight up murdering me."

Mina turns to Dahyun. "Dubu?"

"I ranked last on that subject. Do I need to explain myself more?"

Feeling betrayed by her two group members, the poor girl looks at me miserably. I stifled a laugh. "What? You expect me to explain to myself?"

Mina blushed. She's such a shy girl I feel bad for teasing her. Thankfully, Mina took a deep breath and starts talking.

"The perfect Anihuman is.. is the true form of an Anihuman. When... when we pass the tests, our power will be unleashed and gave way to our true form. That means, our form now... me as a penguin, Jihyo-unnie as a bat and... Dahyun as a hamster, are our juvenile form. There are also... four classes of a perfect Anihuman."

I'm listening to Mina intently, slowly getting the hang on this whole Anihuman deal.

"The Common class, the lowest class are weaker than the other three classes. Most are in the form of preys or smaller predators. Though Anihumans of this class are usually gifted with extreme stamina... in exchange of power. The Rare class, usually consists of top predators. They're stronger than the common class by a low margin."

The girl paused, looking at me with a very apparent question mark hanging above her head.

"Go on, Mina. I understand."

She smiles brightly at me. "Okay, unnie... the third is the Special class. Consists of extinct or aquatic animals. They're significantly stronger than the previous two class. Most leaders of the territories are Special Anihumans. The last one is the Legendary class. The animal counterpart of these Anihumans is what you call as myths, unnie. Dragon, pegasus, you name it. Only a select few are gifted with this exceptional power. Even now, only five known legendaries are currently living in our world, unnie."

After her lengthy speech. Mina sinks into a curling position, hugging her knees. "I-is that enough?"

I nod. Jihyo groans. Dahyun yawns.

"That was a lecture," the batgirl whines.

I glare at her. "That was a _fantastic_ lecture, Jihyo."

Apparently sensing my irritation, Jihyo stood up straight and bows to Mina. "Yes, it was. Thanks a lot, Minari."

Mina shook her head, smiling at her red-headed companion. "Aniyo, it was.. nothing."

"Nooo... it's good! Thanks a lot, Minarii~~~" Dahyun chirps, throwing her arms around Mina in a firm hug.

The penguin girl yelped but doesn't make any effort to remove Dahyun from her side. Then chaos ensues when Jihyo yelled that she's jealous and tackled her members to the ground. Dahyun shrieked because Jihyo squeezes her hard while Mina just lay there, silently despairing her fate.

I chuckled watching their antics. From what they said beforehand, they're all younger than me with Jihyo as the oldest being 20 years old, 6 years apart from my age. It feels as if I'm having three younger sisters.

My laugh seems to catch the girls' attention. Dahyun grins widely I'm afraid her face will split into two. "You understand now, unnie?"

My smile grew mischievous as I hid my mouth behind my arm. "A bit."

"So..." Jihyo plays her finger, looking at me nervously. "Do you accept us to live with you for a while, unnie? We promise it's only until the tests finished!"

"And I promise I won't disturb your sleep again, unnie," Mina said meekly.

"I... I promise I'll be nice!" Dahyun butted in, wanting to offer something about her too.

I ponder for a while, enjoying their expression for quite some time.

"To be honest, I really don't appreciate the sudden arrival and the naked cuddling," as I said that, Mina curls into a ball of shame. With how red her face looks like, I could imagine steam coming out of her ears.

"...but who'll have the heart to say no when there are three cute girls pleading to them?" I exclaimed loudly, laughing at their surprised expression. The girls' faces are priceless, going from anxiousness, pure panic, surprise, relief and then happiness as all of them throw themselves at me.

"THANK YOU UNNIE!!! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!" both Jihyo's and Dahyun's screams are ringing in my ear, but I just laughed it off and patted my new (temporary) sisters' hair. Mina looks relieved, wiping her teary eyes before hugging me as well.

"There... there.. Don't worry girls. You're allowed to live here. Besides, I think the house will be livelier with the four of us rather than me alone," I chuckled, gently tap their head one by one.

All three nodded cheerfully.

"Trust me, unnie, it's going to be a delight to live with us," Dahyun grinned as she latches onto my arm.

"I do believe it. Though as now you live here, I expect you to help me with daily chores, okay?" the three of them nodded at my request.

"Don't worry, unnie. Mina's here a certified housewife to-be," Jihyo laughs, teasing the younger girl. Said girl giggled and punches Jihyo's arm playfully.

I laugh with them, already feeling the warm sensation on my heart. I've always been alone growing up, being the only child in my family. It feels really nice to have a sibling, even if only for a limited amount of time.

"Well, now that you've got a house, do you know when the test will start?" I ask Jihyo, suddenly curious about their tests.

Jihyo shook her head twice. "Not yet, unnie. We haven't even met our full team. The test will commence when all members of a group have already gathered."

"Oh, I thought you've already a complete group."

"Nope. We're scattered at arrival. But it's always in the same area so we don't have to travel far."

"I see," I rubbed my chin in acknowledgment. "If that so, how many members are there in your group?"

Right after I finished asking, there's a sudden change of mood in the room. I only managed to catch a flash of hurt on Mina's eyes before Dahyun' voice distracted me. "There's eight of us, unnie."

"Okay..." this feels awkward. There's certainly something about their group that's painful for the girls so I choose to divert my attention somewhere else.

Hmmm... that clock on the wall seems interesting.

"Hold on, it's eleven already?" I squint my eyes, realizing that it's nearly noon and we've done absolutely nothing. I turned to the girls. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No, unnie.." came the synchronized response.

I sighed and got up from my bed. The three followed suit as they stood up from their sitting position. My eyes drifted to scan their attire. All three of them are wearing my shirts and pants, but I couldn't help to notice their discomfort.

Mina keeps on pulling the hem of her shirt to cover her exposed stomach. Jihyo looks suffocated while Dahyun seems to be just fine. I coughed, capturing their attention.

"You know what? Go dress up. We're going shopping."

 

_To be continued..._


	3. It's Always been Closer than What You've been Thinking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dahyun met her old pal and Yongsun finally meet her new partner in crime

Chapter 03

"Unnieeeeeeeeeeeeee...."

Silence.

"Unnieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...!"

Silence.

"UNNIE–"

"DAHYUN I SWEAR TO GOD STOP WHINING OR I'LL PERSONALLY DISOWN YOU!"

Mina sighed as she silently washes the dishes, ignoring her two members who are on the verge of killing each other. Dahyun has been quite noisy lately and Jihyo's already pissed enough to even consider beating up the younger girl.

"I'm boreeeeeeddd.." Dahyun whines again, lying on the couch while skimming through Yongsun's novel.

Jihyo clicked her tongue. "Go mop the floor."

"Are you kidding? This place's literally shining with how much I mopped it."

"Wash the laundry."

"That was your job!"

"Why don't you try exercising, Dahyunnie?" Mina chimes in. She wipes her wet hands on a towel and flopped down beside Dahyun. The brown haired girl moaned sadly.

"Been there, done that."

With that, Mina goes silent, opting to just observing her friends. Jihyo's absentmindedly sorting Yongsun's magazines, reading them once in a while. Dahyun is still bored, moaning and whining about everything in general.

It's been two weeks since they started living together, but there haven't been any clues about their other group member. Yongsun went to work every day, leaving them inside the house all day. Mina, being a homebody, is actually okay with it. Dahyun, on the other hand, is slowly dying with how much free time she has in her hand.

"Girls!" Jihyo suddenly shouts. "You still bored?"

"No."

"YES!"

Jihyo grins widely, eyeing the calendar. Tomorrow's Saturday.

"I just got the best idea ever."

###

Yongsun walks fast across the streets, clutching her handbag tight. She made a mistake with her work today. That made her determined to fix her mistake before going home. Even if her boss told her to leave, she's stubbornly stayed in the office.

She regrets it now.

She promised Dahyun to buy a pizza on her way home, and the detour from her office to the pizza vendor costs her some precious time. It's ten past nine now. The streets are getting quieter with fewer people walking around. No matter how bright the street lamps are, there's still a fear of meeting bad people nagging her.

That's why she nearly died of heart attack when a strum of guitar echoes somewhere near. Yongsun whipped her hear to where the sound originated, finding a lone female absentmindedly picking her guitar strings. Yongsun can't help but feel curious about the girl who is sitting in front of a closed store.

The girl has straight silver hair reaching her chest. Her deep brown eyes seem distracted, staring blankly at the concrete sidewalk. Yongsun inspects her from head to toe. The silver-haired girl only wore a simple black tee under a ripped denim jacket with faded black slacks. Her dirty and tattered sneakers made Yongsun wonder whether this girl is a delinquent.

Yongsun was just intended to leave when the girl lifts her head and made an eye contact. The strawberry blonde haired intern froze, afraid if something bad will happen as she now has the silver-haired girl's attention.

Much to her surprise, the other girl smiled.

"It's rare to see an office lady wander the road at this time of the day," the lone girl speaks softly, addressing Yongsun's outfit. Her voice's low and raspy, lower than any female Yongsun ever met. "Working overtime?"

"Yeah..." the girl's friendly gestures made Yongsun dropped her guard slightly. "What about you?"

The girl chuckled, picking a few keys on her guitar. "I'm on my way to work, actually. Just taking a breather."

"Singer?" Yongsun asks, referring to the girl's guitar.

"You could say so," she smiles again.

Both of them grew silent, the silver girl playing her guitar while Yongsun lowkey enjoying her play. The silence broke when Yongsun's phone rings.

"Crap. I gotta go. My sisters' waiting," she doesn't know why she feels the obligation to say goodbye to the silver-haired girl. Thankfully the girl waves, making it less embarrassing.

Yongsun's already a few feet away from the other girl, but the quiet surrounding made her able to hear the girl's mumble to herself.

"Cute. I have sisters too."

###

"I still can't believe I agreed to your nagging," Yongsun pouts, arm crossed in front of her chest. Walking a few feets ahead of her are Jihyo and Dahyun, both grinning from ear to ear. Mina walks beside her, sipping her milkshake occasionally.

It was Saturday. All four of them are currently strolling through the town with Jihyo's hand full of flyers. Yesterday, once Yongsun came home, Jihyo made her sat down in the dining room. Mina served her a glass of water. Jihyo sat down in front of Yongsun. She then told the confused unnie that they're dying of boredom cooped up in the house all day and that she and Dahyun had an idea.

"We want to work, unnie."

Yongsun choked on her water.

That was why they're outside, under the harsh summer sun, trying to find a suitable workplace for Dahyun. Jihyo had found hers already, as a waitress at a restaurant near their house. Dahyun's trickier. They've gone to five stores, but none accepted her. Something about 'weird, boundless energy', they said.

It nearly drives Yongsun mad for how they degrade her 'sister'. She admits that Dahyun _is_ a bit peculiar (she **_dabs_** , for God sake), and she's always moving around, but it's not an excuse for saying that she is a weirdo.

God bless Dahyun, the kind hamster paid no mind for the cruel words coming from the previous stores' owner. She only laughed it off before continuing her hunt for a job.

' _These girls are crazy,_ ' Yongsun thought, feeling her energy drained with all the walking. Contrary to the two walking megaphone ahead of her, who still have the energy to sing while walking around. ' _Is this the strength of an Anihuman?_ '

Yongsun glances at Mina, who is sipping on her milkshake gracefully.

Mina is always graceful. Yongsun noticed this four days into them living together, but the penguin girl does emit a regal aura. No matter what she did, she always looks flawless and beautiful–except when she's running, she looks awkward like her penguin counterpart.

Yongsun had intended to ask if Mina's royalty, but often forgot to voice her curiosity.

"Mina, aren't you hot?" she opted to ask something related to today's activity instead. The sun's scorching and Yongsun doesn't want to feel left out with how active her sisters are.

Said girl turned her head to her unnie. Even her hairflip's on point. Yongsun wants to cry.

"I'm always hot, unnie."

...

Yongsun stares at her younger sister blankly until Mina realizes her mistake. Her face turning five shades redder and she lowers her head, gripping her cup tightly.

"I-I mean... I'm a penguin so... it's always hot... for me, I mean. The.. weather. Not.. you know," Mina stutters, clearly ashamed of herself. Yongsun's barely audible 'oh' doesn't help. Mina shrunk further into herself, considering to brainwash herself later that day until Yongsun's body suddenly collided with her.

"Wha..?"

"THIEF!"

Yongsun's high pitched scream cleave through the surrounding noises. It only occurred to Mina that a man snatched Yongsun's purse when she was in a reverie. She quickly supports her older sister while Dahyun chases after the running man.

"COME BACK HERE, THIEF!" Dahyun yelled, giving her all to catch the thief. Sadly her short legs couldn't compete the man's long ones, even if she's an Anihuman that's supposed to be more powerful than a mere human.

When Dahyun's on the brink of losing her breath, suddenly a petite body dashed past her. The girl's long black hair flows behind her as she picks up speed, quickly catching up to the criminal. She then jumped into the air, bringing the man to the ground as she forcefully landed on his back.

"Shouldn't have done that, geezer," the short girl spat, seizing Yongsun's purse and kicked the man's shin. "I won't call the police for now so leave!"

As she watches the man ran away, she turns to find Dahyun breathing heavily behind her.

"Here's your purse–" the girl's sentence died on her throat when she sees who is she helping. "Dubu?"

Dahyun, vision blurry and chest heaving from exhaustion, squints her eyes to have a better look at her savior. She barely recognizes the black hair when the shorter girl shrieked.

"It really is you!!!" the girl exclaimed happily, giving Dahyun a bone-crushing hug.

The brown haired girl racked her brain for a few moments, trying to remember every friend she had until she sniffed the other girl's familiar scent. Dahyun's memory instantly flew to her ex-roommate back at the academy.

"Chaeyoung-ah?"

"You remember!!!" Chaeyoung let Dahyun go from her hug only to pinch her cheek. "I almost thought my favorite hamster forgets about me!"

"Your favorite–" Dahyun chokes back a sob, feeling overwhelmed at the thought of finally finding her other group member. "I missed my favorite kitten, too!"

"YAH!" Chaeyoung hits her arm, hard. "I may be a cat but I'm not a kitten!"

Dahyun laughed as the other girl pouts, hugging her ex-roommate back. "I couldn't believe I'll meet you here!"

"Me too!" Chaeyoung grins. "I was already frustrated why we haven't met the other girls!"

"We?"

"Yeah!" Chaeyoung nodded. "I'm with Sana-unnie all this time. How about you?"

"I'm with Jihyo-unnie and Mina-unnie."

"Cool!" the shorter girl tugged on Dahyun's hand, pointing somewhere along the road. "C'mon, let's go to Sana-unnie!"

Both girls skip happily, half walking half running to wherever Chaeyoung take them to. It doesn't take long for Dahyun to catches two silhouettes under the shade of a coffee shop. Chaeyoung let Dahyun's hand go to approach the two girls faster.

"Sana-unnie! Hyejin-unnie!"

The two whipped their head once they heard Chaeyoung's call. The taller one with soft brown hair waved happily, then paused when she sees Dahyun walking behind Chaeyoung. Her light hazel eyes teared up fast as she dashed for her members.

"Dahyunnieee!!!"

The young hamster laughed loudly as she receives her second bone-crushing hug today. She patted Sana's hair with affection, effectively calming the sobbing girl in her arms. "It's nice to meet you too, Sana-unnie!"

Sana let Dahyun go, squealing happily before turning to the short haired girl standing not far from them. "Hyejin-unnie! We finally found our next member!"

Hyejin smiles, approaching Dahyun then offers her hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Dahyun-ah. I'm Ahn Hyejin."

"Dahyun," the hamster girl giggled, accepting Hyejin's handshake. "Thanks for taking care of them, unnie."

"No problem," Hyejin shrugs. "They seem to be fond of you, Dahyun-ah."

The short haired girl cocked her head in the direction of the two girls grinning like maniacs behind her. "I really thought that they'll go crazy waiting to meet you."

"Ah, well actually it wasn't just me."

"Oh?" Hyejin lifts her eyebrow. "I see what Sana said is true. You're with another team members, right?"

"Yup," Dahyun nods. "I'm actually with two other members of our team. And we've been living together with Yong–"

"GODDAMNIT TOFU WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU?!"

Jihyo's loud voice suddenly boomed not far away, making Dahyun cringed in surprise. Sana and Chaeyoung, although seemed shocked at first, quickly reverted back to their ecstatic state.

"Is that Jihyo?" Sana asks happily.

"That's Jihyo alright, Dahyun-unnie said that she's with Jihyo-unnie!" Chaeyoung confirms Sana's guess, making the taller girl squealed in joy.

"THERE SHE IS!"

The four girls turned around, waving their hands cheerfully to the approaching trio.

"DUBU I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO–" Jihyo's yelling come to a halt when she finally registers the two laughing girls beside Dahyun. She stood there with her jaw hanging, staring at Sana and Chaeyoung as if trying to confirm whether they're real or not.

Mina too, standing slack-jawed behind Jihyo. The two managed to snap back into reality as Chaeyoung and Sana have already made their way to them.

"Jihyo-unnie! Mina-unnie!" Chaeyoung, being the faster of the two, reached Jihyo first and pulling her to a hug. "I missed you!"

She then turned to Mina, jumping up and down before hugging the penguin as well. "Mina-unnie! It's been such a long time! I missed you!"

Mina teared up a bit, patting the younger girl's head lovingly. "I missed you too.."

After Chaeyoung let her go, Sana took the opportunity to dive right at Mina–

"Minari hisashiburi!!"

 –only to find empty air.

"Anata wa dare," the penguin girl deadpanned.

"HIDOIII!!!" Sana faked a cry, wiping her eyes with her sleeve almost dramatically. "Aitakatta no?"

"Ié."

"USO!" Sana wailed, making Mina chuckled and hold the other girl close.

"I'm just kidding. I missed you too."

Sana squealed, rapidly shaking the girl in her arms as an expression of happiness. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Dahyun soon follows, hugging and jumping wildly whilst yelling about how much they missed each other.

Meanwhile, behind the joyful scene of the five Anihumans' inevitable meeting, Kim Yongsun (who already got her purse back) is having a staring competition with none other than Ahn Hyejin.

"Unnie what the hell."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"You're a keeper, too?" Hyejin shook her head, calmly leaning against the wall. "Never thought it would be you."

"A keeper? If that's what you call it is, then yes, I'm a keeper," the older girl followed Hyejin's gesture to lean on the wall. "It never crossed on my mind either that you'll be my partner on this whole Anihuman raising thing."

"Yeah, right," the younger girl giggled, ruffling her short orange hair and grinned at Yongsun. "Thankfully it's someone I know well. It would be really awkward if us keeper doesn't know each other."

"Now that you said that," Yongsun ponders for a bit, glancing at her sisters occasionally as the five of them have stopped being hysterical. "There's eight of them, yes? So maybe one more keeper for three Anihumans. Who do you think they are, Hyejinnie? Someone we know?"

Yongsun did not see the way Hyejin stiffened, as if she's realizing something.

"Who is it going to be, hm?" Yongsun chuckled at her own imagination. "Wheein?"

Hyejin's nervous laugh catches Yongsun attention.

"Well, actually..."

 

_To be continued..._


	4. One Dysfunctional Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wheein was so done

Chapter 04

 

 

Jung Wheein is a good girl.

"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE–"

Or at least, that what she thinks of herself.

"I DID NOTHING!"

She's always been that nice, happy-go-lucky girl everyone loves. She has no enemy, no significant trouble and–tragically–no significant other either.

"I EXPLICITLY TOLD YOU **NOT** TO TOUCH ANYTHING ON THE LEFT RACK!"

Wheein also likes to think that karma does exist.

"I **ONLY TOOK** THE ALOE VERA FOR GOD SAKE! MY SKIN'S DRY!"

But, then, if she truly is a good girl with no black spots on her life record, why does fate make her stuck with these two troublemakers?

"THEN WHY IS MY ENTIRE MAKEUP GONE?!"

Maybe she's done something bad at her previous life?

"HOW COULD I KNOW?!"

A knock on the door made Wheein tear her attention from the World War 3 currently occuring at her kitchen. She put Ggomo–who slept on her lap–down, receiving an annoyed meow from the feline. She then walked to the front door, opening it to greet two familiar faces and five unfamiliar ones.

Wheein sighed. She looks at her neighbor unnie and best friend who have their face neutral of any expression.

"Please tell me I don't read this sudden house raid wrong."

Yongsun shrugged. "It is what you think it is."

Silence for a few moments save for the faint shouting at the back.

"You hear that, unnie?" Wheein asked, pointing her thumb past her shoulder.

"That's the 'children' you talked about since five weeks ago? And then you started complaining since, like, two weeks ago?"

The petite college student nodded sagely. "Indeed, my child."

Yongsun shook her head in disbelief. Hyejin groaned. The red-haired girl beside Yongsun coughed.

"I'll stop them."

"Please don't–"

"NAYEON, TZUYU! STOP FIGHTING OR I'LL WHOOP YOUR ASS SO HARD YOU'LL BE CALLING ME DADDY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES!"

"–..yell."

A loud crash resounds from somewhere inside the house.

Dahyun shivers. "That's oddly specific, unnie."

Wheein banged her head on a nearby wall.

###

"Look, unnie, I love them, cross my heart. But sometimes I have the desire to just drown them into the sea," Wheein rubbed her temples, exhaustion seeping from her very existence. "Or... left them at a random market. That wouldn't be so evil."

The three keepers are now sitting together on Wheein's couch, letting their Anihuman sisters bond after so long being separated. Wheein had ushered them into Nayeon's and Tzuyu's shared bedroom so they could have their discussion in peace. She made a right decision because the moment Mina closes the door Dahyun had started screaming again.

"They aren't actually problematic, unnie. They're just... Tzuyu prefers to be left alone but Nayeon... Nayeon loves to have physical contact. I even called her 'attention deprived' one time because she keeps on curling around me," the hazelnut haired girl softly explains. "Tzuyu's not like this, I swear. She usually just resorts to savagery when Nayeon disturbed her. I think... I think Nayeon pushed the wrong button for Tzuyu to finally snapped."

As if on cue, Tzuyu's high pitched 'NAYEON UNNIE!' echoes on the walls.

Both Yongsun and Hyejin had to suppress a laugh because Wheein seems extremely troubled. The older of the two patted Wheein's shoulder and rubbing it slowly, trying to calm the third keeper.

"Maybe they're frustrated. Chaeng's also gone ballistic a few days past because she ' _can't wait to meet her team_ '," Hyejin said matter-of-factly, hugging her best friend with care. "Let's just hope this will past."

"I hope so, too," the previously gloomy girl grinned, apparently gaining back her mirth. "Both Nayeon and Tzuyu are really excited about the upcoming test, I can't help but feel nervous too. I really hope they'll pass with flying color."

"Same, girl, same," Yongsun agrees.

"Ah, enough complaining. They'll revert to their usual self in no time, after all. But I'm seriously curious. How do you suddenly got the clue that I kept some of them here?"

Hyejin and Yongsun blinked.

"It's Hyejin who figured it out first," Yongsun said. "I don't even know how. She suddenly just said ' _Well, actually, unnie. I think Wheeinnie **is** a keeper. We just don't know about it yet_ ,' when we've barely met."

"Oh, you've met each other before? With your Anihumans?" Wheein lifts her eyebrow.

"We met earlier today."

"That's hella fast!"

"Yeah, I mean, I'm hella smart."

Wheein smacked Hyejin's head with a rolled up magazine the moment she said that. The youngest of the three wheezes in pain, hiding behind Yongsun to escape Wheein's attack.

"Alright, spit it out, lion. What made you think I'm one of the keepers?" the long-haired girl pointed her weapon at her cowering friend.

Hyejin sticks her tongue out. "Not gonna tell. You've hurt my feelings."

SLAM.

"You're gonna tell me or I'm not letting you into my house ever again."

"Nooo..." the orange haired girl wailed, pulling Wheein's sleeves hard. "Please, Wheeinnie, don't you feel bad for this poor, lonely, college student?"

"Get out. Now."

"Wheeinniee!!!" Hyejin pouts, slinging her arms across Wheein's waist and snuggle closer to her best friend. "Fine, I'll tell you. Remember the time I lost my phone here? When we were doing Mr. Jay's assignments?"

"Of course I remember. You practically turned my house upside down that day."

"Yeah, right. So when I couldn't found it inside the house, I tried to look into your backyard.."

Wheein nodded. "What does that have to do with Nayeon and Tzuyu?"

"Well, the bunny–who, Nayeon?–was there, and–"

"So that's where she went when she sulks."

"Not the point. What I wanted to say is that I met eyes with her, and the first thought I had was, ' _doesn't Wheeinnie's afraid of rabbits_?'."

The shorter girl facepalmed herself. "Yes. Yes I was."

Hyejin hummed, burrowing her face into Wheein's neck. "I kinda forgot about that for a few weeks, though. Sana and Chaeyoung took most of my time. So when Yongsun unnie joked that you'll be one of the keeper, it just clicked in my brain and we went here."

Hearing her explanation, Yongsun and Wheein ooh-ed in awe.

"You're surprisingly perceptive, Hyejin," the oldest girl applauded the youngest one. "You certainly doesn't look like one."

"Thank you for the praise and the insult. I appreciate it so much," Hyejin scoffed. "By the way, Sana said there's eight members on their team. Wheein, you sure Ggomo's not actually an Anihuman?"

The other girl nodded. "Of course. I met Ggomo a year ago. Tzuyu once said they graduated from their academy six months ago so Ggomo's certainly a real cat."

"Then there must be another keeper with an Anihuman somewhere near. Any idea who? Preferably someone who is close to us."

Wheein thinks for a while but eventually shook her head. "I don't really have any other close friend on the campus. Especially one who had the heart to randomly adopts people."

"What about Yongsun-unnie?" Hyejin turned her head to the older girl's direction. "Someone from work?"

The intern instantly denied Hyejin's proposal. "My company's full of old or married people. Them adopting a full grown mythical girl seems highly unlikely."

A collective sigh could be heard from the three keepers.

"Well, I guess we'll know eventually," Yongsun smiled, patting the two younger girls for support. "Besides, I believe our last mysterious Anihuman will choose the best human as her keeper."

###

Meanwhile, the Anihumans who had already drained their energy are currently cuddling inside Nayeon's and Tzuyu's bedroom. The oldest of them, Nayeon, slumped against the wall with Sana curled across her lap. Chaeyoung spread herself on Tzuyu's bed, half asleep while clutching Mina's hem who sat at the corner of the bed. Tzuyu leans her head on the side of Mina's leg, stroking Dahyun's hair who is fast asleep beside her. Jihyo sat on Nayeon's bed, looking at the park near Wheein's house through the window.

"I wonder when the test will starts," suddenly Nayeon chimed, pulling the attention of the still alert Anihumans. "Don't you feel curious on which territory chose us to be their successor?"

Chaeyoung hummed in acknowledgment, mumbling something despite her sleepy state. "Ae wojer du."

"She said _'I wonder, too_ '," Mina translates Chaeyoung incoherent speech to the puzzled bunny.

"I wished it would be the Wonder Girls Region. Everyone said they're nice unnies that would guide us thoroughly," Sana muses out loud. "And the area they rule is not too big or too small, either."

Tzuyu agreed. "I just wished we could pass the test. I mean, I heard some of the regions held crazy difficult tests."

Jihyo chuckles heartily. "At least BP took over one of the top region last year. We won't be appointed there."

"You mean _the_ 2ne1 region?" Jihyo nodded at Mina's question. "Oh my, that region's tests are hell."

"Yup. Heard from Jennie that Lalisa broke her back once trying to keep up with Minzy-sunbaenim's training," Nayeon shivered at the memories of her best friend's story. "And that Rosé nearly drowned because Jisoo was stunned by Dara-sunbaenim. Gotta keep in mind that we need to watch each other's back, girls."

"And keep alert," Mina sighed, laying her body on top of Chaeyoung who grumbled in annoyance. "We'll never know what surprises our examiner have for us."

The other girls nodded accordingly, returning back to their comfortable silence until Jihyo speaks five minutes later.

"Girls, I think it's already late. We've got to go home," the red-haired girl rose from her sitting position, stretching her arms. "Sana, Chaeng, your house's the farthest from here. C'mon, get up. You wouldn't want to be out when it's already dark."

Sana quickly stood up while Chaeyoung woke up with enormous effort. Not only that she's sleepy, but Tzuyu refused to move that results to Mina being stuck in her position. The dark haired girl yowled before pushing the older girl out of her way.

Too bad that Mina had already shifted, making Chaeyoung ended up hitting Tzuyu on her head. The tall girl yelped in pain, but glares at Nayeon who is clutching her stomach, laughing her ass off. Tzuyu quickly stormed to the oldest Anihuman, threatening to choke the bunny to death on her sleep.

"Guys, stop. I know you both would love to kill each other but you're living in the same house. Can't you tune it down, please?" Sana sighed heavily, holding Tzuyu firmly at arm length to shield Nayeon. "Poor Wheein-unnie has to deal with your shit on daily basis."

"Oh, don't you worry," Tzuyu interject, hissing at Nayeon who sticks her tongue out. "She usually enjoys it a lot when we're dissing each other."

"Just what kind of dysfunctional family is this?!"

"But because you ask nicely, I'll let Nayeon-unnie go just this once," the taller girl said, relenting at Sana's plead and returned to Dahyun's side. The living tofu had woke up at the ruckus, yawned and opened her eyes the exact moment Tzuyu chose to back-off.

Dahyun, voice raspy from sleep and still rubbing her eyes groggily, giggled.

"Whipped."

Tzuyu doesn't hesitate to strangle Dahyun.

###

"Are we ready yet?"

"Just a few more days. I still need to review their track record first."

A black haired woman sighed, massaging her temple while reading through the documents in her hand. Her companion, a tall girl with short, dark brown hair kept in a ponytail, nodded while munching her snack away. The rustling sound of plastic wrappers made the first girl looks up, smiling as she catches her companion's eye.

"How about the keepers? Have they met? How's their interaction?"

"Already done. The three of them know each other well and two are living in the same neighborhood, so it's not really hard for them to bond. It's also easier for the Anihumans to hold a group meeting."

"Pearl's still overseeing them, yes?"

"Yes, yes she is. Our maknaes are also keeping a close eye on their schedules so we'll be able to fetch all of them on one occasion."

"Very good," the black haired girl returned to her documents, pausing when she reaches a certain file. "How about the last team? Any news?"

"They're..." the tall girl chuckled, pocketing her now empty snack wrapper. "They're in trouble, like constantly. But they manage. I also believe the keeper's a good person and she'll blend with the previously established group easily when they've met."

"How do you plan to bring her to the other three, though? It wouldn't be easy knowing her circumstances."

"Just leave it to Choding. She said she already got an idea."

"Thank God," the first girl exhaled. "So I guess that's a wrap. Tell the other to keep on watching the groups. Our first goal is to take them here next week, preferably before the weekend. Got that?"

"Loud and clear."

"Good, you're free to go."

The tall girl smirked, saluting to the black haired girl and turned on her heels. She stopped before she goes through the door, sparing one last glance to her shorter companion.

"Just a suggestion, but you need to rest. You've been stressing for the exam for three months since they're first dispatched to the human world," she smiled, waving to the now frowning girl. "It will pass. Smoothly. I guarantee you that."

As her companion disappears behind the closed door, the black haired girl sighed, slumping herself against her seat.

"I just don't want to let her down," she whispered to the silence surrounding her.

Her gaze flew to a framed photograph at the corner of her desk. She smiled, despite bitterly, and closes her eyes for a bit.

"Not anymore."

 

_To be continued..._


	5. Shall We Begin?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rulers are coming, and the eighth and ninth member made their surprising entrance

Chapter 05

 

The days passed by slowly after that. All three keepers agreed to just mind their own business for the time being, but high on alert now that only one team left unknown. They know that the test is coming closer. Yongsun works as usual, departed early at eight and arrived home at half past five sharp. Hyejin and Wheein, too, keeps on going to campus depending on their schedule.

What changed is that Jihyo and Dahyun also went to work. Jihyo went to the restaurant that had accepted her while Dahyun was hired by a cafe near Hyejin's house, the very same cafe where Chaeyoung and Sana work. Coincidentally, the cafe was in need of a delivery-person, so Chaeyoung offered her the job. Luckily the manager likes her enough to hire the overly energetic girl.

Mina decided to stay home, growing fond of the daily routine of doing chores. She sometimes hangs out with Tzuyu–mainly when the younger's bored. Nayeon, on the other hand, has found a part-time job as a librarian since met she Wheein, and has no desire to leave her job.

But much to Dahyun's dismay, trouble come brewing when she only had five days of an enjoyable job.

###

"Excuse me."

The jingle of bells from the front door made Sana looked up from her station at the cashier counter. She beamed at the three Anihumans slowly made way to her. Tzuyu, dragging a whining Mina with her, and Nayeon who grinned like she had saw something hilarious.

Without asking, Sana knows that their state now was caused by none other than the penguin Anihuman.

"Having trouble luring the penguin out of her lair?" Sana asked, giggling when Tzuyu shot her a wink.

"Don't worry. Birds of a feather flock together," the tall maknae smiled, ignoring Mina's soft, "I couldn't even fly."

Sana only shook her head fondly. She looks behind those two at the still grinning Nayeon. "And what's up with you, unnie? You seems giddy."

"Oh, nothing," Nayeon waved her hand in dismissal. "Just that something good happened to me at the library. By the way, Sana, can I get a cup of cappuccino?"

The hazelnut haired girl swiftly saluted. "A cup of cappuccino for Ms. Nayeon. What about you two?"

"I'll have latte, please. And green tea for this lazy blob," Tzuyu's unusually chipper today. She pulled the unmotivated Mina to a vacant seat followed by the oldest unnie.

Sana just chuckled, relaying the order to Chaeyoung who happily made them. The cafe's not too busy at this time of the day. It gave Sana time to take a good look on whoever come and go. Currently there's only the five of them in the cafe. The elderly couple who came before the trio had left already.

Another jingle of bells caught Sana's attention. She looks up to see two gorgeous women walking side by side. The slightly shorter one with wavy brown locks met her eye and smiles. The taller one with hime-cut black hair just nodded, and with the timid, shyshyshy attitude she somehow reminded Sana of Mina.

"Welcome! What can I help you with?"

"Oh, do you have any pastry?" the brown haired woman asked, eyes scanning the shelves of coffee the cafe displayed.

"Yes, we do."

"Then I would like some donuts," the woman smiled cheekily, then nudged the black haired woman beside her. "What would you want, Seobaby?"

Sana noticed how the black haired woman turned two shades redder.

"Unnie, I told you not to call me that in public," she shushed her companion who just laughed it off. "Can I have a cupcake?"

"Sure," Sana smiled warmly. Her gestures made the woman relaxed visibly.

"Do you serve takeaway?" the first woman spoke again. At Sana's confirmation, she grinned widely. "Then we'll buy three chocolate donuts and a cupcake, please!"

"Got it! Just give me a minute to pack your orders," Sana swiftly typed their order into the cash register and handed them the bill. She then turned to the pastry shelf, taking a paper bag with her. After she finished packaging the pastries, she gave it to the two women in front of her.

"Here you go, Miss!"

"Thank you!" again, the brown haired woman beamed at the young Anihuman. "May I tell you something?"

Sana nodded, not having any negative thought as the woman leaned to the cashier counter. But, suddenly there's a flash of gold on her deep onyx eyes that took the younger girl aback.

" _You're real pretty for a young Ani._ "

"Wha–"

The young Anihuman doesn't have the chance to finish her sentence when an unnatural blow of wind forced her to close her eyes. When she managed to open it, the two women has gone. Sana was shocked, and she nearly caught a heart attack when a sound of glass shattering echoes from behind her.

She barely recovered from her stunned state as Chaeyoung pulled her arm, running erratically away from the cafe. She also noticed that Nayeon, Tzuyu and Mina had already ran before them, moving at impressive speed along the sidewalk. Even Mina looked like she's flying. Sana saw a blur of red, orange and brown which she realized late is Dahyun speeding up alongside her.

It only clicked in her brain what the hell is exactly happening the moment she felt a massive power wielded only by the strongest of the Anihumans pressured the atmosphere.

###

Today is a rare day-off for Yongsun. Yesterday her manager told her that all employees are given a holiday for celebrating their head director's birthday. Strange, but Yongsun always welcomed a chance to relax. Tzuyu and Nayeon had come earlier, somehow managed to found a sleeping Mina and took her somewhere.

That made the house empty save from the owner.

Yongsun lazed around in her house, taking a note about how quiet the building felt without the constant chattering of her younger sisters. She usually came home last, so it certainly is a new feeling for her to be home alone. It's been a while since total silence engulfed her in her own house, and she took time to appreciate it by doing absolutely nothing.

So when there comes a knock on the door, Yongsun groaned slightly and rose from her sprawled position on her couch. She doesn't bother to take a look at herself, feeling she's decent enough despite only sporting an oversized long-sleeved white shirt and a pair of denim shorts nearly invisible under her shirt.

Yongsun opened the door to meet a young woman with bright red hair standing at her porch, smiling with the power of 1000 sun underneath her pale complexion.

"Um... I'm sorry, but you are..?"

"My name's Sunny!" the red-haired woman cheered and Yongsun felt the urge to shield her eyes from the literal light in front of her. "Excuse me, miss. I heard that Jihyo live here. Can I meet her?"

"I'm sorry," Yongsun frowned. "But Jihyo's currently working."

"Oh," Sunny immediately cast her gaze down, looking extremely dejected. Her sullen expression tugged Yongsun's heartstring painfully. "Then I guess I'll just leave–"

"No, wait!" said Yongsun, catching Sunny's wrist before the latter turns on her heel. "Jihyo will be back in a few moments. You can.. you can wait here."

Her sentence apparently made Sunny jumped back into her happy state. "Really?"

Yongsun nodded. "Of course. Please, come in."

"Thank you~" the red-haired woman giggled, taking her shoes off and followed Yongsun inside. As she sat on the couch, Yongsun excused herself to make tea for both of them.

The young intern hasn't even finished boiling the water when her front door slammed open.

"YONGSUN-UNNIE!"

Said girl whipped her head at the loud voice owned by the one and only Jihyo.

"Jihyo what the hell?"

The bat girl panted heavily, then stormed into the kitchen while straightening her waitress uniform. It's clear that Jihyo ran all the way home. Yongsun glanced at the clock that showed 2.30 in the afternoon, half an hour before Jihyo's supposed shift ends.

"Why are you here?" Yongsun wiped her hands on a towel before reaching out to Jihyo's disheveled hair. She gently tucked the loose strands behind the younger's ear, waiting for the girl to catches her breath before questioning her.

"A-Are you okay?" Jihyo asked between strained breath. She searches her sister's face, trying to pick up anything peculiar. "Nothing happened to you, right?"

"I'm... fine?" Yongsun cocked her eyebrows. "I was only preparing tea for Sunny-sshi."

Jihyo tensed. "Sunny..sshi?"

"Yeah, the woman at the couch? Don't you see her?"

The young Anihuman grew even more rigid as time passed. "N-no I d-don't."

"What?" Yongsun shakes her sister's shoulder, but Jihyo's too stiff to properly responds. "Are you okay? Do you know her?"

"I-I.."

"You know it's rude to just barge in without saying hello to your guest, Jihyo-sshi."

Yongsun lifted her head to find Sunny standing on the doorway. She smiled, still as warm as the smiles she threw at Yongsun, but there's something eerie about the way she leered at Jihyo. If it's possible, Jihyo must have been turned to a statue at this moment. Beads of sweat started to form on her forehead when she heard Sunny's light footsteps nearing her.

Jihyo jumped a bit when Sunny tapped her shoulder. The shorter woman leaned to her ear, murmuring a soft instruction to the youngest of the three.

" _Now be a good girl and fetch the keepers three houses down the road_."

Jihyo nodded hastily and in the speed of light, the bat girl disappears into the street. Yongsun blinked, processing everything as Sunny grinned at her. "W-What? What are you doing to Jihyo?!"

"Girl, relax," Sunny patted Yongsun's arm. She strutted into the living room, winked when she caught Yongsun staring. "Your friends will be here soon."

Jihyo returned a few minutes later with three females in tow. The young Anihuman immediately shuffled closer to Yongsun. She tugged at Hyejin and Wheein to stand beside Yongsun as she stepped in front of them. The last woman, the one with chestnut hair and darker complexion, waved at Yongsun and stood near Sunny.

"Unnie, what is this all about?" Wheein whispered, linking her arm with Yongsun's. "That woman suddenly came to visit Chewy and Nabong. Her name's Yuri. I thought she was their friend. But when Jihyo came, she seemed like she'd met Satan himself."

"I don't know," Yongsun whispered back. "Jihyo had the same reaction when I said Sunny-sshi's name."

"I have a strong feeling that I'm correct, so I'm gonna told you that they are our Anihumans' examiners," Hyejin butted into the whispered conversation, making the two girls whipped their head on their maknae's direction.

"What makes you think so?"

Hyejin shrugged. Typical Hyejin when she's feeling smug. "The fact that they showed up a week after we met each other and the fact that Jihyo's currently panicking. Unnie, calm her down before she does something stupid."

Yongsun takes a good look at her younger sister to know that Hyejin's correct. She grabbed Jihyo's hand, squeezing it to tell the younger that she's not alone. Jihyo visibly relaxed after that, sending her unnie a forced smile.

"Unnie, I think I'm going to die."

"Hush," Yongsun slapped her sister's arm softly. "Don't say that, you'll be okay."

"No, unnie," Jihyo laughed bitterly. "They are from the Silver Moon Region. Often called as SM Region, and every single people I've met at the academy dubbed it as 'Save Me Region'."

"Huh? Why?"

"It's because–"

"YONGSUN-UNNIE!!!"

For the second time this afternoon, Yongsun's front door slammed open. Surprisingly, the one came barreling through the door is the quietest, most reserved person Yongsun ever met in her life.

Mina.

"YONGSUN-UNNIE OH MY GOSH ARE YOU OKAY???!!!"

Correction. _Used to be_ the quietest, most reserved person Yongsun ever met in her life.

But Mina stopped there, looking at the two 'guests' giggling at her antics with horror. She doesn't even flinch when Chaeyoung crashed into her, followed by Tzuyu, then Dahyun, then Nayeon, while Sana came last as she tried to catch her breath.

"Y-You are ..–"

"Nope! No chit chat! Girls, get inside. You're blocking the door."

A voice from outside startled the Anihumans. They quickly made way for the woman to pass by. She's tall, probably around the same height as Tzuyu, and her short dark brown locks are messy in a way that made her extremely attractive. Behind her, two more beautiful women walked into the house. One of them merrily nibbled on a chocolate donut. Sana immediately recognized the women as the ones who bought pastries from her.

"Alright, now that we're all here...–" the tall woman started only to be smacked by Sunny at the back of her head.

"Choding's not here, idiot! Wait for her before we take them to the castle!" Sunny narrowed her eyes dangerously to her companion.

"Ouch! Sorry, I forgot!" the tall woman cried in pain, holding her skull in fear of getting another beating. "She's supposed to be here anytime, right?"

It's as if the universe's listening to the tall girl. Not even a second after she finished her sentence, a loud ruckus could be heard from the outside. Yongsun quickly snatched Dahyun's wrist and pulled her closer, alongside with the other young Anihumans. They are now standing on a different side of the room, the keepers with their–scared, stiff as a log–young Anihumans, while the elder Anihumans stood across them. All with an amused expression on their face.

Sunny rolled her eyes and started to count. "Impact in three... two... one..."

"KIM CHODING COMING THROUGH!!!!"

"PUT ME DOWN! YAH! PUT ME DOWN!"

What sped through Yongsun's door took everyone aback. It's a short woman, about Sunny's height, with faded green hair and bright yellow eyes. Two prominent upper fangs showed up when she laughs–which she did all the time since she came rushing in.

On her back, though, is a traumatized young woman with silver hair that caught Yongsun's attention. The girl seemed thoroughly freaked out, written on her frowning face and the hands clutching the green-haired girl's shoulder tightly.

"Alright, you can come down now, Byulyi-sshi," Kim Choding–or whoever her name was–grinned widely at the girl on her back.

The silver-haired girl–Byulyi–cautiously descend from the other girl's back and made way to the stunned keepers. She looked up, then blinked when her eyes met Yongsun's puzzled ones. "Hey, I know you. You're that office lady I met a week ago."

"Huh?" Yongsun gasped, racking her memories about this girl in particular. "Oh, yes. I remember. You're that singer girl, right?"

Byulyi smiled–her handsomely, gentle, genuine, soft, out of this world smile–and Yongsun's knees go weak. "It was me, alright."

Yongsun barely had time to recompose herself because another girl came screeching into her house.

"BYUL-UNNIE!" the newcomer, a short silver-haired girl with a pair of eyeglasses, frantically whips her head in every direction until her gaze fell to Byulyi. She sighed, relieved that her unnie is okay. Then she shifted her attention to the crowd at the back, smiling brightly when she saw seven pairs of eyes that are looking at her as if she's growing another head.

"Yo, losers," she waved at the crowd. "Been a while."

Standing on the audience side, Wheein saw the moment her most hard-headed dongsaeng crumble into pieces. Nayeon's eyes are gleaming with tears, and she tried hard not to cry right there and right now. The other Anihumans are in the similar state.

"Jeongyeon-a..."

Jeongyeon nodded, eyes full of yearning. It doesn't stay long because she quickly turned her head outside in panic.

"Oh, shit."

"For the love of Jokbal don't any of you understand the concept of, ' _wait a minute_ '?!"

There's a sudden, heavy, suffocating silence at the rough voice from the outside.

"I was starving! At least give me a chance to finish my food!"

With that, another girl walked through the door. Limping. The girl with dirty brown hair is clearly supporting her whole weight to her right leg. When she grabbed the sills with her left arm, her hoodie sleeve rides up, showing crisscrossed scars along the length of her arm. She scanned the room with eyes different in color–pitch black on the right side and dull grey on the left side–and stopped when she saw the gaping crowd.

She gulped.

"Andwae."

Jihyo choked. Chaeyoung tensed. Nayeon's jaw dropped. Tzuyu had her eyes as big as a saucer. Dahyun looks like she's having a stroke. Sana's literally turning blue. Mina's eerily silent, but there's no mistaking the beginning of tears forming on her eyes.

"M-Momo...–"

"ALRIGHT!"

Sunny's loud exclamation caught everyone off-guard. All eyes now fixed on the bright-haired woman. Without missing a beat, she smiled. "Now that you've all gathered here..."

She nudged the tall woman who smirked, then clapped her hand once. Immediately, the scenery changes. Yongsun's living room became blurry, replaced by gigantic pillars of stones soaring high to the sky. The warm cream walls turned into pure white ones. The floor under them fluctuates before transforming into gleaming marble stones.

In a few seconds, their entire surrounding changed into the view of the interior of a castle. Yongsun watches, with gaping mouth, the large room with big pillars, big marble floors, big windows, big chandelier hanging from the roof, and last but not least, a big throne placed at the end of the room.

There, sat a beautiful woman with wavy black hair. She wore a white dress hugging her body all in the right places, emphasizing her otherworldly beauty. The woman curtly nodded and smiled, showing her eye smile as she gazes through her guests.

"Hello, my little Anihumans. I, Hwang Tiffany, representative of the Soshi Team, welcomed all of you into the Silver Moon Region."

She then leaned closer, placing her chin on her hand in an authoritative manner.

"Now, shall we begin?"

 

_To be continued..._


	6. The Silver Moon Region

Chapter 06

 

"Now, shall we begin?"

Tiffany stood up from her throne. Her six companions moved to stand beside her. Staring at the still dumbfounded young Anihumans, Tiffany smiled. Her eyes changed into slits as she giggled amusedly.

"Don't you want to introduce yourself first?"

There's a collective gasp from the younger Anihumans before they quickly kneel. All, except the girl who showed up last–Momo. She grunted, clutching both her knees as she tried to bend her body lower. She gave up after a few moments, throwing an apologetic look to the Soshi representative.

Tiffany shook her head even before Momo opened her mouth. "It's okay, Hirai. You can stand. No, in fact. Yoo, hold her."

"Ne, sunbaenim," Jeongyeon bowed. She then stood up to support her friend. Momo smiled in gratitude.

Behind the nine Anihumans, Byulyi's looking at her sister with worry. Noticing the girl's discomfort, Yongsun gripped her arm to try calming her new companion. Byulyi shot her a smile. "I'm okay. Don't worry."

"What happened to your sister?" Yongsun asked. Her not-so-faint voice caught Wheein and Hyejin's attention.

Byulyi sighed. "She's been like that since we met. Not even Jeong know the full story. Heard something about accidents but I can't be too sure."

The girl then leered at Yongsun's leg. "Don't you have longer pants? You look like you don't wear any."

"Oh my god!" Yongsun, following Byulyi's line of sight then realizing that she's certainly not dressed properly, tugged her shirt down to cover her exposed thigh. "I'm sorry! I didn't know it will come to this!"

Wheein had to stifle a laugh while Hyejin gave her a thumb up.

"It's okay, unnie. Ahn Hyejin approves."

"I don't want your approval!"

"Let's continue, folks," Tiffany clapped her hands once, ignoring the bickering keepers. "And because now you've met us already, you're allowed to expose your surname. State your name, age, animal type, origin, and past region leader. Starting with your team leader."

The nine Anihumans fell silent. They looked at each other in confusion, making Tiffany's eyebrows rose. "You don't have any leader?"

Nayeon braced herself and shook her head. "No, sunbaenim. We were told that we should appoint a leader only when we've already reach our adult form."

"Ah, I see," Tiffany nodded. "Are you guys from SX? Sixteen Academy? Led by Park Jin Young?"

"Ne, sunbaenim."

"No wonder. He teaches that to all his student," Tiffany chuckled. "Okay, fine. Let us just follow the line. You, start."

Chaeyoung blinked in surprise. She looks at her sides to see that she's kneeling on the leftmost side. She then bowed. "My name's Son Chaeyoung. I'm nineteen. I'm a feline, more specifically a house cat. I came from the 2PM region led by Jay Park-sshi."

"My name's Minatozaki Sana," Sana continues. "I'm 20. I'm a reptile, horned lizard. I came from the AKB region led by Yokoyama Yui-sama."

"Im Nayeon, 21. I'm an arctic hare. I came from the 2ne1 region previously led by Lee Chaerin-sshi."

"The 2ne1? I heard a new ruler has finally took over after seven eras."

"Yes, sunbaenim. They were taken over by BP team led by Jennie Kim."

"Ooh, I have to contact Minzy after this," Tiffany grinned. "Must have been crazy epic fight. Alright, now. Where were we?"

Tzuyu lifted her gaze, staring straight at Tiffany. "My name's Chou Tzuyu. I'm nineteen. I'm a crow. I was originally from 4iL led by Ling Chia-lin. There was a civil war when I was four, so my family moved to F(x) region led by Song Victoria."

"Okay, next."

Jeongyeon bowed slightly before introducing herself. "I'm Yoo Jeongyeon. 21. I'm canine, a dog. I use to live in SuJu region led by Park Jungsoo."

"Annyeong, sunbaenim. I'm Hirai Momo. 21. I'm a raccoon dog. I'm from µ's area led by Nitta Emi-sama."

"I've heard about you," the representative interrupted. The serious expression she wore made Momo shivers. "Don't expect us to give you special treatment because of your disability, Hirai."

Momo bowed deeply this time, relying on Jeongyeon to prevents her from falling. "I won't, Hwang-sunbaenim. I will try to keep up with the upcoming tests."

"Good. Next?"

"I'm Kim Dahyun. I'm nineteen and I'm a hamster. I came from TVXQ area led by Yunho."

"I'm Myoui Mina," the black haired girl bowed, stiffly. It made Tiffany cocked her eyebrows but she said nothing. "I'm 20. Avian. Penguin. AKB. Yokoyama Yui."

The representative blinked in confusion. She shot her companions a questioning look in which Sunny answered by a shrug. Tiffany sighed. "Okay, the last one?"

"I'm Park Jihyo. I'm a 20 years old bat. I came from SX region led by Park Jin Young-sshi."

Tiffany nodded, satisfied. She then turned her attention to the four keepers standing awkwardly behind their kneeling Anihumans. The woman showed her eye smile as she bowed. "Before we start introducing ourselves, I would like to say thank you for all of you, keepers, who agreed to look upon and providing care for our dongsaengs. We couldn't fully express our gratitude for your willingness to participate in this tradition of ours."

"As I have introduced myself earlier, this time I'll give the spotlight to my fellow Soshi," she said as she winked at her friends.

"Hi, I'm Lee Sunkyu, but please just call me Sunny," the bright red-haired woman spoke first, waving at everyone below her. "I'm Soshi's head advisor."

The tallest woman was next. "I'm Choi Sooyoung. I'm the one responsible for transporting people back and fro. You guys may be able to open the gate to come to this world, but I'm the only one here gifted with the power of teleportation."

"That's cool," Wheein suddenly blurted. "I would like to have powers like that."

Sooyoung cocked her head, smiling cheekily at the college student. Wheein blushed hard when she realized that her musing was actually heard.

"I'm Im Yoona!" the brown haired woman who bought Sana's donuts raised her hand. Everyone could see that she's still holding the paper bag in her left hand. "I'm the ambassador of the team. Nice to meet you, everyone!"

"HYOYEON KIM CHODING IMNIDA!!"

The green haired woman beside Yoona immediately jumped into action the moment her friend finished. This earned her a pull on her collar and a glare from Tiffany. At her leader's disapproving look, Hyoyeon grinned sheepishly then bowed.

"Mianhaee~ I'm Kim Hyoyeon. Everyone called me Choding so if you hear that name, please don't be confused. I'm the guardian of the region. Cheers!"

After Hyoyeon comes the shy one of the group. She bowed once, timidly, then shot a smile at everyone watching her. "Annyeong. Seo Joohyun imnida. You can call me Seohyun. I'm also the advisor of the team."

The chestnut haired girl was last. She doesn't bow. Instead, she blew a kiss to the gaping guests. "Kwon Yuri imnida. I'm the one overseeing the citizens. Let's have some fun~"

"Thank you, Yul-ah," Tiffany smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes as she shot Yuri another warning look. The tan skinned woman just laughed and even giving finger guns to her leader. Tiffany rolled her eyes.

"Well, I guess that's enough for an opening. Stand up, all of you."

At Tiffany's stern instruction, the seven Anihumans kneeling on the floor quickly stood up. They eyed their sunbaenim warily, with some sparks of awe and fear in their eyes. Sunny seems to notice this, as she chuckled and moved closer to Tiffany. She whispered something to the woman's ear, earning Tiffany's nod.

"Don't be afraid of us. We won't bite," Sunny said to the younger girls.

"Yet."

"Fany-ah!"

"Why?" the black haired woman yelped when Sunny slapped her arm. "It's true. We're only having an initiation today. We wouldn't do anything now."

"That's not what I... ugh," The red haired woman facepalmed herself and groaned. "You're hopeless. Let me take over."

The woman cleared her throat once and turned her head to her dongsaengs. "So, what Tiffany said. We're only having an initiation today. To know about each other a bit better. I'm pretty sure you've at least learned about the Silver Moon Region at the academy. I would like to elaborate more, but we, Soshi Team, had agreed to let you understand our region more as the tests proceed."

She took a deep breath to sweep her gaze to her dongsaengs. "I am aware you must be thrilled to finally be called to a region, but please do remember that SMR is **not** a region that easily gave a pass to the ruler candidate. There will be three tests, all of them would be hard, and you all know the consequences if you're not strong enough."

Feeling as if Sunny's sentences are directed to her, Momo stood a bit straighter. This movement was caught by Sunny's eyes but she did nothing to acknowledge it.

"You'll die."

All four keepers gasped. Meanwhile, the nine young Anihumans simply nodded. They knew that already.

"But we're not that heartless, no," Sunny smiled. Her gaze softened, and a storm of emotions are reflected in her chocolate orbs. "We won't let you die. But even if you survived, you automatically failed the test and are not allowed to continue. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sunbaenim."

Hearing Sunny's reassurance, the four keepers sighed in relief. At least their sisters won't die. They know that it's delusional to wish that their Anihumans will pass the test unscathed, so at least even if they're injured, they're still alive.

"We will give you three days to regroup and solve any issues in your team," Sunny smiled, but her eyes drifted in concern to the black haired girl currently hanging her head low. "When the test starts, Sooyoung will fetch all of you. Anyone wants to ask something?"

Yongsun raised her hand. "Will us keepers involved in this tests?"

Sunny's eyes gleamed in surprise and appreciation. It was rare for a keeper to ask about the test. "Yes, you will. Only for the first test, though. And we assure you nothing bad will happen to all four of you."

The pinkish haired girl nodded in satisfaction, but Hyejin clicked her tongue and mumbled lowly. "Doubt it."

"Hyejinnie, don't say that," Wheein nudged her friend's hand.

"No, but seriously, Wheeinnie," Hyejin huffed. "Eh, doesn't really matter anyway. They've promised so I trust they will honor it."

Sunny ignored the exchange happened at the very back, once more sweeping her gaze on the younger Anihumans. "Anything else?"

"Ani, sunbaenim," Nayeon answered slowly. Sunny nodded, gesturing Sooyoung to approaches the younger ones.

"Okay, then. Our initiation is finished. You are dismissed, and remember we will meet again four days from now," Sunny winked, waving at the young Anihumans and their keeper as they slowly blurred because of Sooyoung's teleportation power. "I expect great things from you, young ones."

After their guests vanished, Sunny turned to Tiffany. The leader was sitting on her throne, eyes closed while massaging her temples. Sunny kneeled in front of her and rubbed her knees. "Fany-ah. Go rest. You look like shit."

"No, I can't," came the weak reply. "I have to make sure the test is...–"

"Fany-ah, don't say that. You are not alone," Yuri ran her hand through Tiffany's hair. "We're in this together, ne?"

"I've secured the perimeter three times before we fetch them," Hyoyeon confessed. She wore a serious expression rarely seen on the self-proclaimed choding. "Nothing out of ordinary. I've also asked the citizens to report to us if anything suspicious happens."

"I've also talked with region rulers near ours. TVXQ, F(x), RV, 2PM and SuJu had agreed to keep an eye for our perimeter. Irene from RV had promised to aid us in case the worst scenario happens again," Yoona pats Tiffany's arm. Seohyun simply rubs Tiffany's hand in silent support.

Tiffany laughed, despite softly and laced by tiredness, still a laugh nonetheless. She spread her arms, hugging her friends tightly. "Thank you, guys. Really. I love you all so much."

"Now, now," Sunny broke free from their group hug to pull Tiffany's wrist. "Let's go rest, all of you. I'll wait for Soo to come back first. We'll continue our preparation tomorrow. Besides.."

She sighed, ruffling her hair in memory of a certain brown haired Anihuman. "I think our dongsaengs need to straighten up something."

###

Back at the human world, Sooyoung waved the group goodbye as she once more teleported to the SM Region. Before she goes, she told the worried Anihumans that the memories of the people interacted with them during the day have been altered. Sana, Chaeyoung, Dahyun, and Jihyo are relieved to know that they won't be fired immediately because of their absence at work.

Byulyi glanced at her watch, noticing the late hour and smiled apologetically to the three other keepers. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. Jeong, Mo and I have to work overnight. Annyeong."

"Wait!" before she could stop herself, Yongsun catches Byulyi's wrist. At Byulyi's quizzical look, she hastily let the latter go. "W-we should meet again, you know. Before the test. To know about each other more. I-I mean! Hyejin and Wheein and I have already acquaintanced since so long ago, but we only met you today. I would like to... y'know. Bond?"

Yongsun slapped herself mentally for her choice of words, but Byulyi simply smiled. "Of course. How about tomorrow?"

"S-sure.." the pink haired girl nodded. She turned to the two other keepers who quickly agreed.

"Okay, let's meet at the town square tomorrow," Byulyi bowed slightly. "You guys want to say something before we go?"

This brought attention to the nine stunned Anihuman. Turns out, when their keepers are conversing, the nine of them are staring at each other dazedly, not knowing what to say or what to do. But Wheein loves to see things thoroughly, and she knows that most of the Anihumans' eyes are directed to the limping girl.

It's certainly not a coincidence that she's the one who broke the silence. "Tomorrow. Let us meet too, tomorrow. I owe an explanation to all of you."

The other eight nodded silently. The trio excused themselves, walking into the night leaving the neighborhood. But before they walked too far, Momo turned, staring sadly at the black haired girl behind Yongsun.

"I'm sorry, Mina."

###

"What was that all about?"

Yongsun cornered Dahyun the moment she gets into her house. After Byulyi and her sisters' departure, Mina had burst into tears and ran straight into her room followed by a worried Jihyo. Sana and the other Anihumans offered to look for Mina, but Yongsun declined and told them all to go home. Four attempts of dismissal later, they unwillingly left. Yongsun accidentally managed to caught Tzuyu's painful expression before the tall girl wrapped her arms around Nayeon.

Dahyun exhaled, gesturing her unnie to sit down with her on the couch.

"What about?"

"Everything!" Yongsun flailed her arms in frustration. "The Soshi team. The tests. But more importantly is why Mina suddenly cried when that Momo girl left?!"

Dahyun held her gaze low. "She wasn't supposed to be here."

"What?"

"Momo. Hirai Momo-unnie..." the red-brown haired girl took a deep breath. "She wasn't supposed to be here."

"Why so?"

"I-I can't tell you," Dahyun shook her head, bringing her hands up in case Yongsun tried to strangle her to submission. "I don't have the right to tell you. I was not there."

"Okay, fine," Yongsun huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance. "I'll ask Mina myself. Then what about the Soshi and their region? You seemed really afraid of them."

"Yeah, you could say so," the younger girl cleared her throat once, running her hand through her hair. "I've told you the day we met, that there are thousands of regions on our world. Among those regions, some are small, some are wide. The widest areas are always ruled by the strongest Anihumans."

"Let me guess. This SMR is one of the widest areas and that made those women some of the strongest Anihumans?"

"Not 'some', unnie," Dahyun tapped her fingers on the armrest. "The Silver Moon region is **that** Legendary region."

Yongsun gasped. "W-what?"

"The SM region ruled almost half of a continent. And have we told you about the ranks of the adult Anihumans? Oh, well. Most of their members belong under the Special category. The only common Anihuman there is Lee Sunny. She's a red panda but that doesn't make her weak. In fact, she's declared as the number one healer currently living in our world."

The older girl's jaw dropped open even further.

"Moreover, their leader is a Dragon Anihuman. Those Anihumans, unnie, are the legends of legends. From what I've heard back at the academy, there's only seven known Dragon Anihuman ever walked the earth. She's the eighth one, and have been declared as the second strongest Dragon-Ani right below the mythical G-Dragon himself. The first Dragon."

If it's possible, Yongsun's jaw must have hit the ground. "T-they're that strong?"

Dahyun sighed, heavily. "Yes, unnie. They **are** that strong."

"Omo," Yongsun slumped into the couch, rubbing her forehead. "No wonder you guys are so terrified."

"Yeah, well. I mean, as happy as I am to be honored as the ruler candidate of the SM Region, I'm also afraid we will fail the tests just like the people before us."

"The people before you?"

Dahyun nodded. "Yeah, well. Not every year a new team sent to try and took over a region ruler. They came every five years in human year, or as we called them, era."

"Ah, I remember Tiffany-sshi said something about 2ne1 ruled for seven eras?"

"Yeah, they are."

"So, how many eras have they ruled for?"

The younger girl lifts both her index finger. Yongsun's eyebrows rose. "Two?"

Dahyun's face blanked.

"Eleven?"

"Ne."

"HOW?! They looked so young!"

"Actually human time and Anihuman time are moving at a different pace. But how we age are similar to the human world. In human world standard, they ruled for about eleven years."

"Ah, no wonder. I thought we only stayed at the Anihuman world for half an hour but it's nearly ten pm when we arrived here."

"Yup. That's how it works, unnie."

"So that means... you're actually 19 eras old now?"

"Kinda... we still preferred years but whatever. It's kinda confusing if we thought about it."

Silence engulfed the both of them now. Dahyun occupied herself with picking at her nails while Yongsun is deep in thought. She exhaled slowly then leaned towards her youngest sister.

"Dubu... you really really can't tell me what happened with Minari?"

Sadly, the hamster girl shook her head. "No, unnie. I'm sorry. We've agreed to not talk about this to another people unless Mina-unnie said so herself."

"Okay.." Yongsun fell into her thinking state again. It continues for a few moments until she stood, startling Dahyun who already drifted into a daydreaming state.

"Unnie, where are you going?" called the young hamster when she sees her unnie walked towards her shared room. But Yongsun just smiled, then knocked on the door twice.

She listens for a bit, catching faint whimpers behind the door. Her heart aches because she knows that her sister's hurting. Yongsun knocked again, a bit louder this time. "Mina? Jihyo? It's unnie. Can I come in?"

There's a muffled groan at the other side of the door. Yongsun was prepared to leave but the door creaked open. Jihyo stood behind it, fatigue clearly written on her face. Her eyes don't shine the way it usually shone but she lets Yongsun in nonetheless.

The girl's eyes immediately caught the trembling bundle of blanket at the bed near the closet. Yongsun slowly uncovers the blanket, careful not to startle the girl curling inside. Yongsun caresses Mina's hair softly and wrapping her arm across her sister's torso.

"U-unnie..."

Yongsun just hummed, tucking Mina's head under her jaw. She doesn't need to talk because talking is exactly the last thing Mina need. Apparently sensing warmth from her sister, Mina unfurled herself from the blanket and turned to Yongsun, hands clutching tightly at her clothed back.

The soft click of the door told Yongsun that Jihyo had left.

"Unnie.. why? Why is she here? I don't... I don't understand! She's not... she shouldn't... she should not be here, unnie.. why is she here?"

Yongsun listened to Mina's ramble, occasionally hiccups with how hard she'd been crying for the past few minutes. She just offered her a silent comfort, continuously running her hear through her sister's black tresses.

"She... she's supposed to be... *hic* she's supposed to be..."

Yongsun patiently waits.

"She should have been... died... why? Why is she here?"

This took Yongsun by surprise. She instinctively pulls Mina closer. Yongsun closed her eyes, and for the first time since she got in, Yongsun finally whispers. "How are you so sure about that?"

"B-because... because..."

Mina cried harder, burying her face to Yongsun's chest.

The next sentence Mina said made Yongsun's breath hitched.

"Because I'm the one who killed her."

 

_To be continued..._


	7. Small Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two different conversations and feelings begin to arise

Chapter 07

 

_Yongsun's POV_

 

"Unnie, you sure you're not high?"

"Or drunk? You're not drunk, aren't you?"

"No, Wheein, Hyejin. I swear to God that was what I heard."

"Since when do you believe in God?"

"Since I met two embodiment of Satan living alongside me all this time," I growled, narrowing my eyes dangerously to the two giggling college students. I put my latte cup on the table, crossing my arms and looked away.

My reaction is apparently amusing to the two girls as they're now roaring with laughter. I huffed, feeling a soft hand tapping my knees. I smiled as I realized that the only sane person in this group is the one who called for my attention.

Moon Byulyi. The last keeper of this seemingly disastrous group of Anihumans raiser. We introduced ourselves yesterday, although we technically met a week ago. Silver hair, greyish eyes, charming smile. Just like Wheein and Hyejin, she raised two Anihumans with her. One of which is our hot topic for today.

"Yes, what is it, Byulyi-sshi?" I asked her.

She has this distraught look on her face that I can't help but find it adorable. She's really protective of her sisters and that made her the one with more worry concerning my previous statement.

"Is it true what you said, Yongsun-sshi?" she spoke, eyes never leaving mine. "Momo had actually died?"

Well, yes. If Mina wasn't having hallucinations last night. I remember clearly that she said that Momo had died, and she was the one who killed Momo. I couldn't ask her further because she cried even harder after confessing that and then passed out in my arms a few moments later.

This morning before I went to meet my fellow keepers, I actually tried to scrape some more information regarding Mina and Momo's past. But the main character herself doesn't even wake up until I left, and the other two Anihumans are conspiring to not telling me anything.

That was why we are here now, in some homely cafe near the town square, chatting and occasionally sipping our drinks. Aside from getting to know each other, we also wanted to talk about our sisters and the upcoming tests.

"Yongsun-sshi?"

Crap. I forgot that Byulyi's still waiting for my answer.

"I don't doubt my hearing, Byulyi-sshi. So, yes, she died."

Byulyi retracted her hands from my knees. There are wrinkles on her forehead when she thinks things deeply. The girl sipped her iced water before sighing heavily. "But how? She's alive now. She's still breathing and eating and doing daily works normally. I'm not living with a zombie, now, right?"

"Well, she's literally crippled," Hyejin speaks up. She plays with her glass of coke while staring at both of us. "Looking at her walks around limping like that will certainly make me think that she's a zombie."

"And what's with her eye, though?" this time it's Wheein's chance to talk. "Heterochromia? She has two different eye colors."

Byulyi shook her head. "Her left eye's blind."

"Woah, hold on a second," I stopped her sentence. "She told you about her wound?"

"Sadly, no," Byulyi frowned. "I made my own experiment after I accidentally threw a book at her left side and she doesn't even realize it. Not until it hit her square in the face."

Hyejin quirks her eyebrow. " _Accidentally_?"

"I'm serious. Wanted to throw it somewhere else but Momo just kinda showed up out of nowhere straight through the book's pathway."

Byulyi's now slumped on the cafe's chair. Probably feeling helpless. "At first I thought she only has a problem on her left leg. But little by little I found out that she's having trouble with her whole left body."

By now I'm listening with full focus. Wheein and Hyejin who usually can't keep quiet for even a minute are also listening intently.

"Aside from her eye and leg, Momo has three massive claw marks on her upper arm. I could see by the way she uses her left arm that those claws tore a muscle. There are teeth marks on her shoulder. The last one... Momo please forgive unnie for this, but when I accidentally saw her changing her clothes, I saw a scar running from the center of her chest to her left waist and then it curved upwards to her shoulder blade."

"Whoa," I stare dumbly at Byulyi, but my mind is nowhere near her figure. I'm imagining the scary scar and ended up feeling a bit freaked out. How on earth does a person get a scar that terrifying?

"I'm..." Hyejin starts only to close her mouth back. "...speechless. That's... wow. I... wow..."

"Is she truly alive?" Wheein shivers, hugging herself. "Byulyi-sshi, you checked right? She has a pulse, right?"

"I assure you, Wheein-sshi. She's alive and well. To be honest, it's not really that scary if you see it yourself. The only difference is the wrinkles and the different skin tone. I knew because I've hurt my arm badly once and it seems similar."

"I... I see..." our youngest is still in her dazed state, playing with her nails to distract herself.

"What do you think about that?" I asked again. "What happened to her?"

"Did they fought?" Wheein proposes. "I've seen Tzuyu and Nayeon nearly fight each other seriously and they certainly grew claws. Dunno about the teeth but... maybe it grows too?"

"No way, no," I interrupted Wheein. "Mina's a sweet child. She won't have the heart to hurt her friends. Moreover fighting them to death."

"But, unnie! That's the most plausible backstory! Even the nicest people could snap too if they're triggered!"

"Not Mina! I knew her only for three weeks but I **know** she won't do any of that!"

"Yongsun-unnie, stop, you're making a scene," I felt a hand lightly pushing my chest. I blinked, seeing Hyejin's worried face. I realized that I've stood up from my seat to yell at Wheein. She seemed terrified and also surprised that I yelled at her.

"Omo! I'm so sorry, Wheeinnie! I... I... I didn't mean to..." I hastily grabbed her hands, clenching it in panic.

She nodded, patting my hand until I relaxed enough and settled to just holding her hands.

"I'm sorry, Wheeinnie..."

She grinned. "No problem unnie. Besides, I managed to prove my point."

"What point?"

"That even a nice person will snap when they're provoked," she answers with a cheeky smile.

I threw her hands down without any hesitation. "Oh my God, I hate you so much."

"Love you too, unnie!"

I groaned. So much for being the oldest of the group. I'm always the one bullied by these two evil maknaes. I could feel Byulyi's gaze as I look away at anything except them.

"I think we should just drop this matter," Byulyi offers, touching my hand to catches my attention. "We're literally blind about this whole Anihuman thing. Heck, we don't even know how their world looks like aside from the castle yesterday. Let's not jump to conclusion."

I sighed. Byulyi's right. There's no point in continuing the argument if what we'll conclude are merely our scenarios. Nobody knows what truly happened back there, not even Dahyun if she was honest to me.

"Why don't we talk about other things?" she asked, looking at me and the two evil maknaes. "When did you met Sana and Chaeyoung, Hyejin-sshi?"

Hyejin points at herself. "Me?"

She then scratches her head. "Probably about two months ago. I found them in front of my house. I thought Chaeyoung was going to eat Sana because she had her in her mouth. So I smacked her head with a broom and threw a fish at her after she let Sana go."

Wheein stares at her friend in disbelief. "You smacked her? Let me rephrase this. You smacked a cat for carrying around a lizard in her mouth? Are you kidding, Hyejinnie?"

"Okay, in my defense," Hyejin raised both her hand. "I don't usually involve myself with animals but on the other side, what I saw that day is a helpless, dying lizard with an evil cat trying to eat her. So I just moved on instinct and grabbed the broom to chase Chaeyoung away."

"What kind of normal human did that!"

"Oh, shush. Sana said it herself that it was their charm that made me did that. Caring about them, I mean. In the end, I took Sana to my house. The next day, I woke up to a naked woman cooking at my kitchen."

All three of us are now speechless, listening to Hyejin's extraordinary story with full attention.

"And... then?" I dare myself to ask.

"Then what?"

"What did you do next?" Byulyi continues my question.

"Oh, well I did what every people did when they saw a naked, gorgeous stranger cooking at their kitchen."

I shifted closer to Byulyi. "Why do I feel like I need to prepare myself?"

She nodded, understanding me perfectly. "Me too. Brace yourself."

Wheein took a deep breath and asked the ultimate question. "What... did every people do?"

Hyejin laughs. I'm having goosebumps. "I gave her a back hug and I asked her what is she doing so early in the morning."

Somewhere in the background, I heard Byulyi's, Wheein's and my own moral compass shattered loudly.

"Please tell us you're joking."

"No. I did that. But then she screamed and slapped me with a pan. I was already dizzy when the-also-naked Chaeyoung broke through my front door and roundhouse kicked my face until I passed out."

Wheein groaned and slammed her face to the table. "If I was Sana, I would have stabbed you."

"Aww... don't say that. I know you love me."

"Used to. Don't you ever come to my house again."

"Sexual offender," I heard Byulyi mumbling to herself with horror.

"Aish, enough about me!" Hyejin flails her hand in an attempt to stop us to envisioning her backstory. "How about you, Wheeinnie? How did you met Tzuyu and Nayeon?"

"My story is simpler and is certainly less questionable than yours, thank you," Wheein exclaimed with disgust. "It was six weeks ago. I was walking home when I heard a ruckus in an alley near me."

"Don't tell me Tzuyu and Nayeon fought before meeting you?" I asked, genuinely curious. I've always felt that these two didn't get along well. Maybe it's the age, both literally and figuratively. I mean, Nayeon is the oldest member with the mental age of 10 while Tzuyu is their maknae with the mental age of 40.

"Ding dong, wrong. Tzuyu did fight, but not with Nayeon," Wheein wiggled her index finger in front of my face. "She fought for Nayeon."

"Eh?"

Wheein nodded pridefully. "Yup. Nayeon was attacked by a random house cat and Tzuyu dived from the air. She injured the cat but both just didn't relent. I happened to walk past so I chase the cat away."

"See, Wheeinnie? We both chase the cats away!"

"No, I'm unwilling to be on the same boat with you. I chase the cat away because both Tzuyu and Nayeon are clearly injured," Wheein slaps Hyejin's arm. "So, yeah, I brought them into my house. Immediately after I finished patching them up, they turned to human and explained everything."

Hyejin chuckled lightly. "That's like... really normal."

Wheein stuck her tongue at her friend. "Of course. I'm not a weirdo like you."

"How about you, unnie?" our youngest turns to me, smirking. "Is your story normal or no?"

"I thought I've told you already," I said, rolling my eyes in exasperation. "Met Jihyo hanging on my roof, then she tugged me and I followed her. Found Dahyun and Mina lying covered in blood. They told me afterward that Mina was chased by local dogs around there. And.. they turned human the morning after, so I kinda screamed and shoved Mina out of my bed when I found her snuggling me naked."

Byulyi shook her head then sips her iced water. Now that I paid attention to her, she only ordered iced water without any food or snack or whatsoever. Is she on a diet? But she's very thin. I bet her ribs are visible under all those jackets she always wore. Betcha she has abs too.

...

Wait a minute.

I immediately backtrack.

Why the hell am I thinking like that!

"Byulyi-sshi! How did you meet Jeongyeon and Momo?" thankfully Wheein's high pitched voice called me back to earth.

Said girl chuckled, probably memorizing her first meeting with Jeongyeon and Momo. "Well, after listening to your stories, I realized that I'm the first keeper to meet them. I met them two months ago, plus a few days. I was just walking home when I found both of them lying on the ground."

"And you just took them in?" Hyejin is confused. "That's really... nice but kinda random of you."

"Not really," Byulyi hummed. "They were starving. You should have seen them that day. Jeongyeon was so thin and Momo's literally skin and bones. They even need a few days to replenish their power to be able to turn human."

We silently nod, giving Byulyi time to tell her story.

"So I fed them. They eat everything I swear. Meat, rice, fish, even vegetables! Momo really likes jokbal, though, so I always tried to bought a piece of it when I went home," she chuckled with a fond look on her face. She must have loved her sisters deeply.

"You love them. Don't you?" Wheein softly voiced our shared thought.

Byulyi just smiled. "Yeah, I do. They are so sweet, even when they're outright weird or starving. They also understand that I can't feed them on daily basis and they went to find a job. Even with Momo's condition."

"Hang on," I lift my hand, stopping Byulyi with haste. "What do you mean you can't feed them on daily basis?"

"Well, babe," she winked effortlessly. "Some people work to scrape for food."

I'm stunned, 100% did not expect that. Hyejin and Wheein are also seem surprised by this revelation. My eyes involuntary drifted to her iced water, realizing that Byulyi ordered the cheapest menu not because she's on a diet. But because that's all she could spare.

Suddenly I'm feeling self-conscious.

"Ahaha, but don't worry." Byulyi giggled, waving her hand as if to shoo the uncomfortable feeling surrounding us. "I'm used to it. Good thing is that Jeong and Mo also learned to live in a harsh condition. At least now they know how to make a priority and to be humble. That's the least I could teach them."

I sat there in awe, listening to Byulyi's every word. Her last sentence got me thinking hard. The young Anihumans are supposed to live alongside us for a time period to learn about humans. As a keeper myself, I need to become a role model to them so they grow into a better person.

The question is... what... have I teach to Mina, Jihyo and Dahyun?

###

_Normal POV_

 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the town, another group of people is also in the middle of the meeting. But, in contrast with the keepers' jolly atmosphere, the air here feels suffocating.

Jihyo keeps on stealing glances towards her teammates. Mina sat in silence, leaning on the glass window staring blankly at the outside world. Dahyun sat beside her, trying to soothe her by running her hand slowly on Mina's upper arm. Sana who sat across them is playing with her drink, stirring it mindlessly.

Tzuyu's keeping her eyes closed beside Sana, one arm draped around the latter's shoulder and her other arm is circling Chaeyoung's waist. The smallest Anihuman had her head on Nayeon's shoulder. While Nayeon simply stares at her drink, watching the strawberry in it floats.

"I'm sorry, we're late! Got caught up with traffic!"

All seven Anihumans lift their head at the loud voice nearing them. They smiled, reciprocating Jeongyeon's wide grin. The short haired girl sat beside Jihyo, wrapping her arms around her friend's waist.

"Where's Mo?" Nayeon asked.

"Is struggling to walk. She'll be here in a few moments," Jeongyeon sighed. "Okay, I lied. I left her behind. I need to say something to you. Especially you, Mina and Chewy."

At the mention of her own name, Mina finally shifted her gaze. Tzuyu opened her eyes when she heard her old nickname. "Spit it out, Jeongyeon-unnie."

"Whatever Momo tell you now, never ever put the blame on yourself. For two years, we only know the story from our side, so now's the time to finally understand what was truly happening at the border that day. And why she 'died' only to be back when we're dispatched to the human world. She'd told me before. It was not your fault. It was never anyone's fault. What happened back then is purely an accident."

"Not my fault?!" Mina slammed the table, surprising everyone. Her eyes are bloodshot, lips quivering in an attempt not to cry again in the cafe. "She sacrificed herself for me, Jeongyeon-unnie! I was there! You won't understand because you're not there!"

"No, unnie," Tzuyu growled. "I was the one she sacrificed herself for. I'm the one at fault. If only I was strong enough..."

"It was no one's fault, both of you! Haven't I made it clear for any of you **not** to blame yourself?"

"I LEFT HER–"

"Because I told you to."

Mina stopped her sentence when a new voice joined. She trembled, eyes focused on the girl standing with the help of a crutch. Tzuyu also tensed, looking at Momo who stood at the end of the table. The brown haired girl glowered, warning everyone with her cold stare which gradually softened.

"It wasn't your fault," she said. "It never is."

"No, Momoring–"

"Myoui Mina."

Momo called, her voice calm but laced with superiority.

"For the second time in my life, I ask you to put your faith in me."

Mina was stunned. She remembered that sentence. Her eyes started to water again, but Momo reached her hand with difficulty and grasps her fingers.

"Trust in my words that it was not your fault, or Tzuyu's, or even mine. It was fate, and it was what made us now, no matter how painful the past is. You get me?"

Mina nodded fast, holding her tears with every strength she has.  Momo sighed in relief, smiling softly at the penguin girl. She then turned to the gaping crow, stroking Tzuyu's head once and sat at the chair prepared for her.

"Now, listen up, folks. I'm going to reveal everything that happened to me in the past two years since the day JYP-sunbaenim declared my death."

 

_To be continued..._


	8. The Girl Who Rose From The Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hirai Momo and the past long forgotten

Chapter 08

 

_Flashback, 2 years ago_

_Sixteen Region_

_Sixteen Academy_

 

_Momo POV_

"..ring."

"Hmmm..."

"..moring."

"Hmmm!"

"MOMORING WAKE UP!"

I jumped out of my bed when a high pitched voice attacked my eardrums. In a haze, I tried to catch the one screaming in my ears, but unfortunately, that person has run away. I groaned, rubbing my eyes to try and recognize who the hell is crazy enough to wake me up at this time of the day. When I finally got my vision back, I saw Sana giggling at the door while my roommate Mina was just drying her hair wordlessly.

"MINATOZAKI YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

"ANDWAEEE!!" she giggled, waving her arms frantically. "Mina asked me to wake you! There's an emergency assembly in 30 minutes so you better get your sorry ass ready!"

With that, Sana disappeared. Probably to her own room which she shared with Tzuyu. I rubbed my eyes one more time before I shifted my attention to my roommate. "Minari, is it true? An emergency assembly?"

She nodded. "Yes. Jihyo's the one notified by JYP-sunbaenim. All academy students are expected to gather at the front field in 30 minutes."

"Huh, strange," I yawned. I stood up and snatched my towel before I went into our shared bathroom. "I'll be ready in 10. Wait for me!"

Turns out I managed to get ready in 25 minutes. So now, Mina and I are running frantically across the academy to reach the assembly point on time. Mina said that Jihyo had nearly broken our bedroom door before she and the other left, but Mina refused to leave me alone.

How sweet of her. I really am blessed with her existence as my teammate and future ruler-partner.

"Hah, hah, thank God we're finally here.." I gasped, trying to catch my breath while leaning my arm on the building wall. Mina stood beside me, panting as well but still looks effortlessly gorgeous.

Sometimes I ask myself whether to praise or to strangle her.

"Mina! Momo! Here!" I heard a familiar booming voice from my left side. It was Jihyo, waving her arm to catch our attention. Mina grinned at me and tugged my wrist before walking towards the other.

"So, what's up, Hyo?" I tap Jihyo's back once. "Why the sudden assembly?"

"Something happened at the border of the region," Jihyo answered me, but her eyes are fixed to a map she clutches. I wandered my gaze for a while to know that all other teams currently training at the academy are also focused in a team discussion.

"It was a disaster," Nayeon speaks. "An earthquake, and it triggered an avalanche."

"We were asked to aid the rulers in the evacuation. And we've been assigned to the area at the west of this village," Jihyo points a dot at the map. "This is going to be dangerous because that place is located near the wall of the No Man's Land. There is a chance that the wall is destroyed, and any berserk Anihumans in the NML might be able to go beyond the border."

I shivered. The No Man's Land is the absolute terror of every living and sane Anihuman. It was the place where all berserk Anihumans goes. The place where only the strongest, most vicious one could survive. Up until this day, no one could understand why did an Anihuman went berserk. Some say that it was a mistake in their transformation into a perfect Anihuman. Some say it was a curse. For all I know, berserk Anihumans are insane, mindless beasts roaming the No Man's Land.

"Why don't our rulers go there themselves?" Jeongyeon inquires. Her arms are folded in annoyance and her short silver hair is still in a mess. "We haven't even graduated. Shouldn't the rulers go there themselves to assess any danger?"

"No can do, Jeong," Jihyo shook her head. "The area destroyed from the earthquake is far too wide. Our rulers can only do much. Assessing an area is one thing, but doing so while evacuating requires a lot of manpower. JYP-sunbaenim said that the rulers are already dispatched to more dangerous areas. Besides, we are instructed to immediately retreat in case we encountered any berserk Anihumans."

"I see," Jeongyeon nodded. "So what's the plan?"

Jihyo hummed before she answers Jeongyeon's question. "We'll split into three teams. That way, we can cover more area in a smaller time period. Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, you guys are the oldest here so I want you to become each team's leader."

I saluted Jihyo while Nayeon and Jeongyeon nodded in agreement. Although it is debatable that the older we are, the wiser we become, SX Academy always teaches us to make the oldest as team leaders. To respect them, they said.

"Chaeng and I will go with Nabong. Satang and Dubu go with Jeong. Minari, you and Chewy go with Mo. That way, at least we could cover the grounds and the skies as well. Jeong, I trust your tracking ability not to flop this time," Jihyo pats Jeongyeon's thigh, earning the latter's apologetic grin.

"I'll try to, Ji."

"Okay, any questions?"

Chaeyoung lifts her hand. "Where did each team goes? I mean it's going to be useless if we unknowingly roamed around the same area."

"Ah, I forgot about that," Jihyo grinned sheepishly. "Any idea, guys?"

"Let's split it like this," Tzuyu slips herself into the space between Dahyun and Sana. Her long arm touched the map, drawing imaginary lines at the topography. "I'm the only actual flying avian here, so my team will take the highest area. The one where the avalanche took place. We also had the benefit of Mina-unnie's ability to slide on snow and Momo-unnie's super speed in case there is a second avalanche."

She then moved her finger downwards. "Jeong-unnie's team will take this area. This is the place where the avalanche ends, so there will be a lot of snow piles around here. Jeongyeon-unnie's tracking ability would be extremely handy. The last team goes to the flat area. You guys assess the earthquake damage and measure the probability of an aftershock."

"Right," Jihyo nodded in satisfaction. "How's that, guys?"

"We're perfectly okay," Dahyun agreed on behalf of the seven of us. "So, when will we leave?"

***

"Chewy, got anything?"

I shouted to the skies, to the black crow floating at least 200 meters above my head. She cawed back, saying that she saw nothing before she dived to where Mina and I stood. Tzuyu transformed back into her human form, shaking her head sadly.

It's been three hours since we trek through the snowy mountain. And in the meantime, there's nothing in particular that caught our attention. Tzuyu has been flying nonstop only to find white landscape. Mina had tried to dig up some holes in case anything buried deep under the snow, but not even my scavenger senses found anything worthy.

Tzuyu bit her lower, frustration clear in her deep brown orbs. "Unnie, I'll try to fly at a higher altitude."

"Don't go higher than 250," I warned her. Her body can't take the heavy atmosphere beyond 250 meters. Tzuyu nodded then took off. I measure her height and it seems that she heed my warning.

I fastened my purple scarf, catching Mina staring at me. I giggled. "What?"

"You use that scarf often," she said with a blush, hiding her face behind her own red scarf.

I chuckled. "You made this. Of course I use it often."

It's true. Mina gave me this scarf two years into our friendship. She suddenly developed a fondness of knitting that day, and her first ever handmade scarf was given to me. That night, I cried to Jihyo and rambled to her about how soft Mina is and how I thought she was going to disown me as a roommate but doesn't have the heart to kick me out, so she gave a gift as an apology and we'll be through the day after.

I remembered how evil Jihyo, Jeongyeon and Nayeon's (I don't know since when did those two showed up) faces are when they beat me thoroughly.

By the way, I was intending to walk around some more, but Tzuyu landed on the ground beside Mina before I even lift my leg.

"What is it, Chewy?" Mina rubbed Tzuyu's arm in concern. "You found something?"

"Yes," the tall girl exclaimed. But she seemed a bit worried. "About 3 kilometers to the west from here, near a river. I saw something moving."

Her explanation made Mina and I stare at each other. "That's... uncomfortably near the NML's border."

"I know, that's why I'm hesitating," our youngest said worriedly. "Should we go there?"

Both Mina and Tzuyu shot me an expectant look. I exhaled, fully realizing that I should be the one who calls the shots. I'm the team leader, after all. Sometimes I wished I'm part of the maknae line so I don't have to carry the burden of my teammates' safety in times like this.

"We're supposed to evacuate. Whatever that thing is, we have to make sure whether they're a berserk or not. Just remember that if it was a berserk, we have to escape as fast as possible. Chewy, can I trust you to fly back to the camp the moment we determined its status?"

"Ayay, captain Hirai," Tzuyu bowed slightly.

"Okay then," I braced myself. "Let's go."

***

A few minutes later, we arrived at the place Tzuyu told us. It's a level ground, and there's a raging stream between us and the wall of the No Man's Land. More specifically, a destroyed wall of the No Man's Land.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath. "We have to be fast, guys. The wall's destroyed. If we don't go back quickly, our scent may attract things from the other side."

Mina hummed in agreement, kneeling on the ground to inspect the muddy area. "Momoring, there are footprints here. It's new."

"Where did it go?"

The penguin shrugged. "It ended here. The land behind us is pure rocks so it's unlikely to leave a track."

"Hmm," I scratched my head. Shifting my attention to Mina, I saw Tzuyu wander around the plain's perimeter. Looking around some more, I sighed because I found nothing aside from emptiness. Whatever that thing is Tzuyu saw, it's already gone.

"Let's go home, Minari," I tapped Mina's shoulder, to which she responds by nodding her head.

I approach Tzuyu who is still meandering aimlessly on the plain.

"Chewy!"

She whips her head in my direction.

"There's nothing here! Let us go b–"

I'm unable to finish my sentence as a massive, white form jumped from the snow towards our youngest.

"CHEWY!"

That big thing I realized is an Anihuman tackled Tzuyu to the ground with its teeth. Tzuyu managed to dodge most of its body weight at the last second, but its arm quickly smashed Tzuyus's head to the ground.

I heard the sickening crack of skull meeting the ground before I reached her.

"MOMORING!"

Mina's worried call is only a breeze on my ears as I channeled my power and threw my entire body to the Anihuman. The furry white beast roared in anger at my sudden interference. I snarled, showing my elongated fangs before I shot an aura attack to the beast's eyes. It groaned in pain, backing away from me as it attempted to soothe its hurting face.

I turned to Tzuyu to find her unconscious, blood seeping from the wound on the side of her head.

I wanted to take a look our youngest but the beast had recovered, silver teeth gleaming as it roared at me. I roared back.

"Minari! Go get Tzuyu!" I shouted an instruction to my approaching teammate. I don't have time to make sure whether Mina's answered me or not because the beast jumped at me. I dodged to the right and slammed my shoulder to its body, making it lose its balance. The beast wobbled before slashing its claws to my arm, catching it slightly and drawing blood.

"Momoring, I've got her! Let's go!" I heard Mina's call just as the beast slashed its claws at me again. I ducked, forming an aura ball in my mouth and shot right at its chest.

The beast wheezed in pain, giving me time to go near Mina to see that she's cradling Tzuyu's animal form. The blood hasn't stopped flowing from her wound even when Mina dabbed it with her scarf.

"Right, come on!"

She runs before me while I trailed behind her. I tried to ignore the harsh huff of the beast's breath because I know its following us. We run as fast as we can, but our track is cut off when the beast jumped and landed in front of Mina. She immediately brakes and swiftly swerves to the right, trying to avoid the beast's gaping maw.

Too late. Mina won't be able to dodge that.

I pushed my power to my legs, using my signature super speed to push Mina's body with my own. It works, in a way. She flew a few meters to the right thanks to our momentum, but the beast's maw found my shoulder and bit hard.

"Gah!" I snarled, feeling its fangs sinks into my left shoulder. I also tried to injure the beast's shoulder, but I know I won't make the same impact as its bite so I bit anything I could find and rip it off.

Turns out it was its left pectoralis muscle so it whined painfully, letting go of my bleeding shoulder.

"Momoring!"

"I'm fine!" I shout back to Mina despite the extreme pain on my entire left limb. I tried to lift my left arm only to feel a shift in my shoulder.

My collarbone's fractured.

I take a look at the now very angry beast, repeatedly roared at me aggressively.

There's only one thing I could think in this mess of a situation.

"Minari you have to go."

"What?!"

I turned to her, glaring as I found her trying to disobey me. "This is an order from your leader. Go! Take Tzuyu and go!"

"What do you mean by that!" she spat. I saw her struggled to stand so I know I must have injured her in one way or another when I threw her away. "I'm not leaving you here!"

"We don't have any other choice!" I snarled. My raccoon ears are starting to grow on my head with how much power and authority I try to exert. "That beast is faster than both of us and Tzuyu's bleeding out! One of us has to stay behind to buy time so we can get Tzuyu treated!"

"But–"

"Don't argue, Mina!" I screamed in frustration. My voice catches the beast's attention because it angrily stomped to me and it flailed its claws wildly, trying to hurt me further. I roared, elongating my nails until they're sharp enough to slash at the beast's eyes. "I can't keep it busy for long! You have to go! NOW!"

I focused my power on my right arm and punched the beast hard until it flew backward. I turned to Mina, trying to sound as calm as possible as I gave her a final push.

"I know I'm not the most reliable unnie around, Minari," I sighed, eyeing the beast warily. Once I make sure it's not going to jump me, I once again looked at Mina and muster the best smile I have. "But just for this time, I humbly ask you to put your faith in me."

She choked, apparently surprised at my words. I don't give her time to think things further as I pushed her away. She gripped Tzuyu's limp body against her chest tightly. There's a beginning of tears in her eyes but I do my best to ignore my clenching heart.

"Please be safe," she mumbled. "And come back home."

With that, she turned her back at me and run. I only stood there in silence. I don't have the heart to tell her that I have more chance to die instead of coming home, so I just pushed the thought away to once more facing the angry beast in front of me.

I inhaled, forcing my inner power to give me even a bit of a protection.

"Let's dance, beast."

###

_Normal POV_

The camp at the village exploded the moment Mina rushed through the clearing, shouting at everyone and everything with her face ruined by tears. The other two teams that had finished are screaming at the scene of a black crow covered in blood. Medic immediately took Tzuyu, saying that she'd lost a lot of blood but will be treated accordingly. Full recovery is the only outcome.

The relief coming from that news is short-lived, because when Mina caught sight of one of the teachers, Sunmi, she revealed the fact that took everyone by surprise.

"Momo's still out there and she's fighting a berserker!"

That was enough to make Sunmi grabbed her equipment and shouted at her team to follow her into the wild. Park Jinyoung, the owner of the academy and also the region's leader, showed up a few moments later, already packed up and declared that he will also go to find Momo.

Mina begged him to let her come along, but Jinyoung's stern dismissal made Mina's spirit died.

"I'm sorry, young one. But it's too dangerous out there. We'll do our best to find your friend," he strokes Mina's head, trying to calm the sobbing penguin. "You girls are my top team at the academy. I wouldn't let anything bad happened to any of you."

With that, Jinyoung, Sunmi, and their team left to find Momo. Mina was quickly ushered to the medic team because Jihyo found her limping. It was a simple strain, treated quickly so she told Mina to sleep. Mina refused to the point of nearly snapping at Jihyo, insisted that she will wait for Momo no matter how long it will take.

She ended up falling asleep, though, because the exhaustion of crying while running all the way down a mountain caught up to her. Jihyo stayed with her the whole day. She sometimes took a glance at Dahyun and Chaeyoung who huddled up near Tzuyu's bed, patiently waiting for her to open her eyes.

Sana was missing, probably shocked to the core because two of her best friends returned in a heart-wrenching condition while one of them is currently MIA. Nayeon and Jeongyeon are gone, too. But being the responsible older sisters they are, they braved the situation, keeping their feelings at bay so they can report back with detailed accuracy.

Jihyo respects them for that, for their ability to be professional no matter the situation.

Seven hours later, Tzuyu woke up. Not long after, the expedition team led by Jinyoung and Sunmi returned with a news.

Jihyo finally broke when Sunmi gave her the ripped and bloodied purple scarf.

###

The expedition continues for five days. Until at the end of the week, Jinyoung gave up and declared Momo's death.

The first few weeks are rough, but Mina took it the hardest. She blamed herself for Momo's death, despite what Jinyoung-sunbaenim had said. She locked herself in her shared room, refusing to let anyone in. Everyone tried to coax her out of her shell, but everything they received is a silent dismissal.

It took three days for Sana to snap, scolding her roommate who is also depressed. After she's satisfied, the girl who came from the J-continent stormed to Mina's room, shouting once to know that Mina still doesn't budge and kicked the door open. They found Mina's sleeping form, curling on Momo's bed clutching her blanket tightly, a streak of tears etched on her face.

Sana cried again, waking Mina up. In the end, all eight of them are huddled up inside Mina's and (late) Momo's room, crying their heart out in the loss of a dearest friend.

It took them a month to be able to calm their emotion. Another month to be able to accept the fact that there's only the eight of them together now, three months to them being used to an empty spot in their usual formation, and approximately six months for them to be able to make an eight-person formation.

One year later, most people had forgotten about Momo, but everyone knows that the team she left was never the same.

Jihyo, Nayeon and Jeongyeon grew more serious, more detailed, leaving no space for a mistake in their planned training. Dahyun and Chaeyoung still joke around, but rarely made things escalate into an academy-wide prank. Sana flirts less as she prefers to hovers around Mina and Tzuyu. Mina grew quieter, more reserved. Tzuyu's the only one who showed no apparent change, but only Sana knows about her nightly ritual of staring blankly through the glass window for hours.

By the time graduation came, Hirai Momo was simply a distant memory of a friend they used to have.

###

Unbeknownst to all of them, three months after the declaration of her own death, Hirai Momo opened her eyes.

###

"So... I died?"

"That was what Jinyoung told the public."

Momo took a deep breath, gradually getting used to the feeling of her new body. She rubbed her left eye knowing it's useless, but still rubbed it by muscle memory. Her hand touches her ribs, grasping the concept that five of them are now incomplete, floating inside her chest. She tried to shifts her weight to her left leg only to feel a sharp pain jolted at her knee.

"Hirai, I told you not to do that," at the mature voice scolding her, Momo grinned. She reverted back to her default posture, slowly feeling her right leg muscles getting sore as she relied on it far too much.

"So, Matsuura-san. When will you fulfill your promise to train me?" Momo shot the blue-haired woman a question, making her lifts her eyebrows.

"Until Riko-chan told me you're strong enough. Can't risk your knee yet. It might pop out of its place if we strain it. You told us yourself that you can't afford another disability."

"No, mam!" Momo saluted. "But, really, though, Matsuura Kanan-san. How am I ended up here in out of all regions?"

Kanan chuckled. "Even if Aqours do belong to the J-continent, we're actually closer to the K-continent. And by whatever fate playing, the river that drowned you ended up here."

Momo followed Kanan's footsteps, trying to keep a conversation with her savior. "By the way, Kanan-san.. if I did manage to regain my old abilities, what should I do?"

Kanan stopped her steps, then turned to face the taller girl. "Well, Chika, Dia and I have talked about this already. We have two paths for you to choose from. One, if you're able to regain your old abilities before your supposedly academy graduation, we will persuade JYP to let you participate in your late team's region tests. But if you don't, well you just have to be satisfied to live in Aqours for the rest of your life."

The blue-haired woman winked at Momo. "Are you up for the challenge?"

"Aww, Kanan-san," Momo laughed and shot her own wink to Kanan. "I'm born ready."

 

_End of flashback_

###

"And that's how I returned here. The rulers of Aqours are determined to give me back to JYP. Kanan-san drilled me so much I sometimes thought that I don't have a limit any more," Momo smiled fondly, remembering the harsh days she experienced after the encounter with the berserk Anihuman.

She stole a glance at her friends to know that all of them are listening intently to her, some had their mouth gaping. Momo folded her arms, running her finger following the outline of the scar on her torso. A gesture she picks up during her training days with Aqours when she's feeling nervous.

"So.. yeah," Momo cleared her throat, pulling everyone attention. "I.. know, how hard it was for you. I left, and then I showed up out of nowhere when you already accept the fact that I died. I know this is going to be hard... and awkward, for you, to have me back as part of the team when you've been together as an eight-membered group for a long time."

She hung her head low. "But I hope... I hope you would give me a chance. A chance to once more become a part of you."

Momo only heard the shuffling before she was tackled to the ground by two strong arms. She flailed her healthy arm in panic before it settled itself amongst black tresses. Momo inhaled the familiar jasmine scent, filling her lungs with memories and she tried to order her heart not to burst.

She laughed, tears brimming at the corner of her eyes as she pulled the body on top of her impossibly closer.

"Tadaima, Minari..."

Through choked sobs, back clawing and seven pairs of eyes staring at them full of love, Mina managed to say the thing she wished she could say two years ago.

"Okaerinasai, Momoring..."

 

_To be continued..._


	9. Beginning of a Storm

Chapter 09

 

_Hyejin's POV_

"Satang, you done cooking?" I peek my head from behind the wall, immediately locating Sana who has her back to me. She giggled once, then turned her head to give me a wink.

"Not yet, unnie," she said airily. I groaned, feeling my hunger rising.

"Just be patient. I'll be done before you realize it," Sana chirps as she returned her attention to the ingredients before her.

I nod tiredly. My agenda at the campus today was very busy. I crammed everything I'm supposed to do tomorrow into today because tomorrow is the day when the first Anihuman test will commence. According to Tiffany and co., the other keepers and I are expected to participate, so Wheein and I tried our best to clear out tomorrow's schedule.

"How much longer?" I asked, embracing her waist from behind. She's taller than me so instead of placing my chin on her shoulder, I planted my face flat to her spine.

She laughed. "Just a few moments. Why don't you go watch TV with Chaeng or whatever."

I shook my head. Chaeyoung's watching some animal documentary which I don't really like. Moreover, Chaeng's territorial when it's concerning the TV channel. She's going to throw a tantrum if I asked her to switch it.

"Hey, Hyejin-unnie I think your remote battery is–Oh my God why."

I had to move my face from my comfortable position so I could see my youngest sister. Chaeyoung is standing in the doorway, scowling at me.

"Couldn't you guys stop flirting in front of me?! My eyes are burning with sin!"

"Hello, my daughter," I snickered.

Chaeyoung's face contorted. "I'm calling the Jung residence."

The girl in my arms laughed. Sana turned to Chaeyoung, giving her finger guns and blown her a kiss. "You're just jealous because your personal body pillow isn't here with you."

"Well, I'm sorry if being loyal is an alien concept to the both of you," she sighed, flopping down onto a chair. She pouted, fingers combing her black hair. If only I'm not observant, I would only think that she's sulking because she's disgusted with me.

(I mean... Chaeng's been disgusted with me since day one.. no, two, since we met)

I unwrapped my arms from around Sana and sat beside Chaeng. The cat grumbled before I pat her head. "It's okay, daughter."

"Don't call me that.." Chaeyoung whined. "Unnie..."

"I know, I know," I stroke her head, knowing full well that Chaeyoung loves to have her head caressed. "You don't have to worry. It's just an exam."

"Yeah, but," Chaeyoung sulks deeper. "Why are you needed to participate? I'm afraid they'll do something bad to you."

"Aww, don't worry, baby cub," I put my arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "No matter what happened, we'll survive. Besides, you've promised to protect me, ne?"

I winked at Sana who winked back. Slowly, I felt Chaeyong's tense body slumped against mine comfortably. She closed her eyes, fingers finding mine and she laced it together.

"Yeah. I've promised, alright."

 

_End of Hyejin's POV_

###

_Yongsun's POV_

 

"Mina's awfully giggly today," I commented after seeing a small penguin and a smaller hamster clawing each other's face playfully. Jihyo nods while slurping her _kimchi jjigae_ , eyes sometimes flickered to her two younger teammates in case their play fighting escalates.

"That's her defense mechanism. Back at the academy, every time an exam came, Momo would sleep at the dormitory canteen to avoid Mina," Jihyo stated. She gathered our dirty dishes up and brought them to the dishwasher.

Having no other thing to do, I followed Jihyo to the kitchen. She's doing her chores silently. She doesn't even budge when I sat at the kitchen island, playing with my toes.

"So.."/"Unnie.."

We spoke at the same time, making us stare at each other then burst out laughing.

"You first, Unnie.." Jihyo said after she finished laughing.

"Nah, you spoke first," I shook my head.

"Your script was written first, unnie."

"Huh, what?"

"Nothing!" Jihyo giggled, putting the last plate to its place. She wiped her hands on the towel hanging beside the dishwasher and smiled at me. "No, but seriously, you first."

I cleared my throat. "So, yeah. I just want to ask, how's your feeling?"

"Honestly?" Jihyo grinned. "Nervous. But that's how it always is. We know nothing about the exam tomorrow, and you are expected to participate. Just know this, unnie. Whatever thing the Soshi team throw to us tomorrow, we will always protect you."

She leans to my arm, hugging my waist as she nuzzled my shoulder. I instinctively stroke her back. "What about you, Ji? What were you going to say?"

The oldest Anihuman in my household hummed. "Just wanted to make sure that unnie's okay with all of this."

"Tsk, of course. I'm not declared as the best unnie of the universe for nothing," I puffed my chest, making Jihyo giggled again. "Don't you worry, Ji. We'll do this together, and we'll win this together, too."

Jihyo doesn't answer, but her tightening embrace was enough to give me an answer.

 

_End of Yongsun's POV_

###

_Wheein's POV_

 

"Unnie, can I come in?"

"Sure! The door's unlocked!"

I turned off the music playing on my laptop when I heard Nayeon's soft voice from behind my bedroom door. I lift my eyes from the documents displayed on the screen to look at my cough-actually-older-cough Anihuman sister. She's fidgeting, eyes flickering here and there but refusing to meet mine.

"What is it, Nabong?" I pat the space beside me, gesturing her to sit down.

She only shook her head. "Unnie, can I ask you something?"

Why are you suddenly so polite to me?

–is the sentence I've wanted to say. But Nayeon seems troubled so I relented.

"Fire away," I said as I reach my glass of water. She fidgets again for a few seconds until she took a deep breath.

"Can I sleep with you?"

I nearly spat my water before I realized the innocent meaning of 'sleep with you' and gulped it with difficulty.

"Y-You want to sleep with me? Here?"

Nayeon nodded. "Yes."

I coughed, trying to soothe my aching throat. "Sure. Why not?"

The rabbit girl beamed. "Gomawo yo! Can Tzuyu come, too?"

I was actually starting to doubt if my bed's large enough to accommodate the three of us. Especially with Tzuyu's long long limbs. But seeing Nayeon smiling so happily at the prospect of sleeping together, I nodded. She squealed, rushed to the living room calling her partner and returned with a pillow and a blanket.

I closed my laptop, lying as close as possible to the wall to give space to my two gigantic (not really, I'm the one who is too tiny) sisters. The bunny immediately laid herself beside me, covering both of us with her blanket. Tzuyu arrived not long after, turning the lamp off and drapes herself on top of both Nayeon and I.

"Chewy you jerk I can't breath!" Nayeon hissed, swatting Tzuyu's arm with her own. Our youngest just laughed softly.

"Oh, am I not lying on a mattress?"

Nayeon bit Tzuyu's arm after that, making her yelped. "Get your heavy ass away from me or I'll rip it off."

"Okay, okay, geez, calm down," Tzuyu grumbled, rubbing her sore arm before tucking herself behind Nayeon's back. She still has the gut to lay one of her arms on Nayeon's waist, but the latter doesn't argue.

I twist my body so I'm facing Nayeon. She smiled at me and I just stroke her hair.

"Good night, unnie," Tzuyu said, yawning.

I sighed, resting my forehead against Nayeon's.

"Good night, my babies. Let us pray for our test tomorrow," I said as I felt Nayeon's breath hitting my face.

"Yeah, sleep tight, unnie."

 

_End of Wheein's POV_

###

_Byulyi's POV_

 

"Unnie, you know you don't have to do this."

I shook my head at Jeongyeon's protests. Ignoring her, I served three plates of food worth twice my weekly allowance on top of our rickety table. Momo was silent. She seemed conflicted whether to scold me for wasting money or to thank me for feeding her something delicious.

"Don't say that, Jeong," I slapped her arm softly. "Tomorrow's a big day. Go eat. You'll need your full energy tomorrow."

"B-but.."

"And, you, Momo. Eat before you turned to Owow," I warned her, referring to the personality she gained when she's starving.

"B-but.."

"See, Jeong?" I turned to Jeongyeon who is facepalming herself. "She's been repeating that word since I returned home. She's Hirai Owow, now. You guys really need to eat something healthy for once in a while."

"Unnie," Jeongyeon sighed tiredly. "She's always been a _pabo_ when it's concerning food."

I agreed with Jeongyeon. My younger Anihuman sister is dumb in general, but her intelligence sinks straight to the underground when she's in extreme hunger. That was why we called her 'hungry personality' as Hirai Owow.

I pushed Momo's plate to her peripheral, catching her attention. She lifts her head for her eye to meet mine. "I-is this for me..?"

"Yes, Mo. You too, Jeong. No more arguing or I'll devour everything myself."

That seemed to be their trigger to start eating. Momo clapped her hand happily then quickly inhaled the Jokbal I bought only for her. Jeongyeon smiled, still a bit hesitating but easily melts into the tteokboki once she tasted it.

I chuckled, eating my own share of tteokboki. All three of us ate fast, leaving nothing uneaten. Momo who had returned to her Hirai Momo personality collected our dishes and went to wash it.

I lean my back to the chair. "Everything okay, right, Jeong?"

My sister who has the same hair color as I nodded. "Yup. Nothing to be afraid of, unnie. Besides, Momo and I had asked for a day off today and tomorrow. Just in case we're too tired to continue working."

"Good. I've asked for a day off, too."

She's silent for a few moments, seemingly contemplating what to say until I stood and stretched my body.

"Welp, it's nine already. Come on, let's sleep. We have a long day ahead of us," I said, touching her shoulder once.

Jeongyeon nodded. Before I left the kitchen, Jeongyeon called me softly. "Unnie?"

"Hm, yes?"

She grinned, widely. "I love you."

I winked.

"I know. I love you too, Jeong."

"DON'T FORGET TO LOVE ME TOO!!!"

 

_End of Byulyi's POV_

###

As promised by Sunny, Sooyoung showed up knocking on Yongsun's door when the sun's high enough. She invites herself in, teasing everyone who is panicking at her arrival. She told them to relax because she intended to rest for a bit and giving them the time to assemble.

One hour later, all fourteen of them are already standing inside the castle, waiting for Tiffany to show up. Sooyoung leaned against one of the pillars, sipping on a cup of tea Yongsun served her before. The owner of the cup was baffled.

"I'm sorry for the delay," Tiffany's husky voice echoes on the silent castle wall. She walks gracefully from the door behind the throne, followed by the other Soshi team members. Hyoyeon waved cheekily at the younger Anihumans, slightly calming their nerves down.

"As promised before, today we will commence the first examination for the seat of the ruler of the Silver Moon Region," the black haired woman announced once she stood in front of her throne.

"Before I start, there are a few things I wanted to explain about the following event. This first exam will evaluate your team's dynamics, planning, and teamwork. I've heard a lot of good things about your team on the resume from the academy, so I expected a lot of things from you."

Tiffany took a deep breath. "Next, the objective of the exam. You are to retrieve four objects from four different locations. There will be hints on the location that will be explained by Seohyun. Lastly, there is a time limit for this exam. You are limited to six hours. If you are unable to retrieve the objects under the mark of six hours, you are automatically failed as a group. Everyone got me?"

The younger Anihumans are all nodding, listening intently to what Tiffany said.

"Now, listen. Seohyun will read the hint to you once. It's a key to what you'll be chasing."

By Tiffany's instruction, Seohyun stepped to the front. She took a deep breath before reciting the hint that sounds suspiciously like a poem.

 

_Star, wind, flower, sun, and you_

_Hear the wind sings, it echoes in my ears_

_The call of those who were walking distant from each other_

_One_

_The trembling star is twinkling_

_But where are you looking at?_

_Trapped in a fog, inside your mind_

_Two_

_When the cool wind blows over_

_When the sunlight hides my body_

_Should we meet?_

_Three_

_The passion flower has already bloomed_

_Like a picture that's floating in the air_

_The sparkling flash clash with my gravity_

_Four_

_The summer sun is like a jewel on top of the ocean_

_Even if the path to you hurts so much_

_With a heart bigger than ours_

_Star, wind, flower, sun, and you_

_Hear the wind sings, it echoes in my ears_

_The call of those who were walking distant from each other_

Seohyun finished her reading and bowed, returning to her spot behind Yoona. Tiffany gave her a curt nod in acknowledgment.

"Now that you've got your hint. This has exam officially start! Go, young ones!" Tiffany exclaimed, clapping her hand excitedly.

All the younger Anihumans bowed then rushed to the exit gate. Before they went past it, though, Jihyo who led the team halts.

"Wait," she backtracked, turning her head right and left in a panic. "Where's our unnie?"

"Oh, did I forgot to mention?" Tiffany's low notes sent shivers to the young Anihumans' spine. The Soshi team representative's smiling darkly, eyes condescending to the people below heer.

"The 'object' you're going to retrieve is alive."

It took Jeongyeon exactly one second to decipher Tiffany's words. She ran through the castle's gates, her friends trailing behind her as they realized late what Tiffany meant. Once all the test participants are gone, Tiffany sat on her throne, eyes fixed on the rolling clouds from behind the glass windows.

She smirks.

The storm is brewing up.

 

_To be continued..._


	10. Star, Wind, Flower, Sun, and You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To save one's life...

Chapter 10

 

"STOP, GIRLS! STOP! CAN'T ANY OF YOU JUST PLEASE CALM THE FUCK DOWN?!"

"I AM CALM, JI!"

"THEN STOP SCREAMING!"

Mina trembled, standing far from her friends who are in the middle of a heated argument. And if seven years of living together had taught her something, is that her friends are _this_ close to lift their fists and start fighting each other.

"Enough!"

Mina hadn't realized before that Momo also chose to stay silent. The raccoon had stood behind the younger girl because she didn't want to risk her already broken limbs. But seeing her friends' unhealthy arguments seemed to spark her emotions. Momo shoved Jihyo with her healthy arm and knocked Jeongyeon back with a swipe of her leg. Her actions made the two girls stumbled backward, hitting the other girls and effectively ending the _almost_ fight.

"Stop fighting! The more we fight the more time we waste! We should have started moving to find our unnie now!" Momo snarled, voice dripping with aggressiveness only someone with her experience could muster.

"Well, what do you expected us to do?" Dahyun growled back. Eyes meeting Momo's in a challenging stance.

"Why don't... why don't we just sit first and talk?" Sana chimed in. She was also silent before, standing timidly beside a fuming Tzuyu. "I mean... there's must be a reason why Tiffany-sunbaenim gave us a hint, right?"

Silence.

Sana scowled when her friends gave her blank stares. "If you guys forgot about the hint, I'm going to hit Tzuyu."

Tzuyu whipped her head in surprise. "Wait, what do I have to do with–"

Nayeon shrugged. "To be honest, I do forget."

SMACK.

"Ouch! Sana-unnie!"

The oldest Anihuman smirks at Tzuyu's pained wail. Chaeyoung noticed Nayeon's evil intention and rolled her eyes at her unnie's antics. The house cat raised her hand, trying to get Sana to not hitting another person. "Unnie, unnie! I remember!"

After she managed to grab everyone's attention, Chaeyoung starts reciting the poem Seohyun sang back then. She finished the poem to find her teammates all deep in thought. Chaeyoung cleared her throat. "You know, maybe we should try and decipher the hint. Starting from the first sentence, I mean."

"Star, wind, flower, sun, and you," Jeongyeon ponders for while, clicking her tongue when she realized something. "Star. Star meant Byul in English. The 'star' words must have refer to Byulyi-unnie."

Mina nodded. "You're right. The star is Byulyi-unnie. Wheein-unnie's name is literally the sound of the wind. If it's true, the flower and the sun must have meant Yongsun-unnie and Hyejin-unnie. But which is which?"

"Hyejin-unnie's the flower! I've heard her friends once called her Hwasa! Doesn't that mean 'the language of flower'?" Chaeyoung offers. The other team member agreed with her theory, so she moved on and recites the second sentence.

"Hear the wind sings? What, Minari if the 'wind' is Wheein-unnie, so we have to listen to her singing?" Jihyo asked, confused. Mina seems baffled as well. "No.. I don't think that's the meaning of this sentence..."

"Maybe it has something to do with their location?" Dahyun's voice breaks the trance. "Like, there are four of them? And there are four major wind directions, right? North, south, east, west?"

"Yes, there is a possibility," Jihyo nodded. She abruptly stood up, then starts running to the direction of the Soshi's castle. "Guys, continue on interpreting the hint! I'll be back fast!"

"So if we settled on their location on the four major wind direction, we need to know what stands between us and them," Nayeon licks her lips, memorizing the second verse of the hint. "What strikes me as a hint is the 'trapped in a fog, inside your mind', for Byulyi-unnie. The only place I would think as foggy is either a mountain or a swamp."

"No, wait. There's this thing about 'where are you looking?' and 'inside your mind'. I don't think this 'fog' is a literal fog, Nayeon-unnie," Dahyun said, clutching her head tightly. "I think... it means that this 'fog' is something that we thought, that made us confused about what we should be looking at!"

Nayeon sat straight in realization. "A diversion. No... an illusion?"

"Yeah.. but then we should have felt the power of illusion right now."

"It doesn't have to be by magical power," Nayeon shook her head. "It's a natural illusion. A... mirage? A fata morgana?"

"The desert!" Dahyun exclaimed. "Byulyi-unnie must have been in a desert!"

"Yeah, that must be it," Nayeon rubbed her chin. "Okay, one down. Three to go."

"I think Yongsun-unnie's one is really obvious," Mina gulped worriedly. "'The summer sun is like a jewel on top of the ocean'. This region's southern border is literally the open seas between K-continent and J-continent. There's no doubt that the Soshi team put Yongsun-unnie there."

"Well, then it's either _there_ or _down there_ ," Tzuyu said gritting her teeth. Mina's face immediately drained of any color. "We have to be fast."

"Guys, I'm back!" Jihyo came running, a roll of paper clutched in her hand. She kneeled in the middle, unrolling the paper which is actually a map. "You guys said that they're located at the four wind direction. So I just kinda got an idea to ask for a map. Have you guys progressed on interpreting the hint?"

"Yes," Tzuyu nod. She moved her hand to point at the western outmost of the region. "This is where Byulyi-unnie is. The deserts. But we should really narrow it down because the deserts are hella wide."

Jihyo's eyes are focused on the yellow area on the map until she spotted a difference. "Here! Look, this area's colored red. That's the unreachable area of the deserts. Too hot and too dangerous. Only the rulers are able to go there. I think if they're trying to test us, they'll be putting Byul-unnie there to know if we're able to retrieve her, ne?"

Tzuyu grimaced. "I agree. Still too wide but, well at least we have a location, now. Next, Yongsun-unnie is as Mina-unnie said. The K-J-continent ocean. Another way to narrow it down, perhaps?"

"The second sentence on the 'sun' verse. 'Even if the path to you hurts so much'. Must have been something dangerous to pass by," Sana said. She put her finger on a dark blue area on the map. "This place's name is literally 'The Shark Reef'. Dare to say that's where Yongsun-unnie is."

"Okay, so Yongsun-unnie and Byul-unnie's clear? How about Wheein-unnie and Hyejin-unnie?"

"The cliffs."

Momo's quiet voice caught everyone's attention. She shuffled to the front, grabbing Sana's shoulder to balance herself and points to the region's eastern border. To the long chasm separating the SM Region and the RV Region. "Hyejin-unnie's verse contains something about 'floating in the air' and 'clash with gravity'. The only place for her to be able to 'float' and 'clash with gravity', or should I say, _resisting_ the gravity, is the cliffs."

Nayeon's eyes widened. "You mean... she's hanging?"

"Not quite literally, if we take the first half of the second sentence in consideration. But yes, she's hanging on a cliff."

"Which cliff?" Tzuyu chased the older girl.

Momo narrowed her eyes at the map, trying to locate any difference. "No idea. If anything, the clue must have laid in the 'the sparkling flash' sentence."

"The Valley of Diamonds," Mina suddenly said. "I've heard once that there's an area on the SM Region chasm that's filled with diamonds. Diamonds sparkle, right?"

"Yeah, you're right, Mitang."

The team's oldest member bit her fingers in anxiousness. "Okay, Hyejin-unnie cleared. Now, what about Wheein-unnie? The northern border of the SM Region is a mountain range. 'When the sunlight hides my body'? What does it means?"

"Probably a place where the sunlight's so strong it made you blind," Jihyo wonders.

"Why do I thought the opposite..." Jeongyeon muses out loud. She met Jihyo's questioning stare and lifts her hands defensively. "No offense. But somehow I thought that 'sunlight hides my body' means that her body is located somewhere the sunlight couldn't reach."

"Like a cave..." Sana's forehead wrinkled. "There's a lot of caves at the mountain."

"And the last sentence, 'should we meet?', in my opinion means a meeting between caves. So she's located in a cavity inside the mountain," Dahyun proposed her theory. "Here, look. There's a place on the map named as 'The Dragon's Belly', and there are a lot of smaller paths surrounding it."

"Then it's fixed," Jihyo claimed, slamming her hand on the map. "I'll make a summary. Byulyi-unnie's located at the western desert somewhere within the red area. Yongsun-unnie's located at the southern ocean – _inside_ or _on top of it_ – near the Shark Reef. Hyejin-unnie's hanging by the Valley of Diamonds on the east. While Wheein-unnie's inside the Dragon's Belly at the northern mountain range."

The red haired bat clapped her hand. "Now, the problem is how are we supposed to fetch them? We've wasted half an hour already. Only five and half an hour left from our time."

"Easy. We split," at Sana's suggestion, everyone cocked their eyebrows. The lizard shrugged. "What? The last sentence of the poem says 'the call of those who were walking distant from each other'. If we split, we **are** walking distant from each other."

Mina shook her head. "Too dangerous, Sana."

"No, Minari," the older J-continent girl scoffed. "We're going to be rulers. If we pass this, we'll do a routine of scouting the perimeter **alone**. If we don't start now, when will we?"

All seemed to consider Sana's words. Tzuyu's the first one to agree. "Sana-unnie's right. We'll have to split if we want to find our unnies fast. I'll go west. That's the farthest area from here and I can fly. That will make my journey faster and I'll be able to find Byul-unnie by watching the desert thoroughly on an appropriate height."

The youngest then gazes at her friends. "Let's split the teams into 2-2-2-3. I'll go with someone I'm able to lift. Its either Dahyun-unnie or Sana-unnie. Who wants to go with me?"

Sana offered herself. "I'm a horned lizard. My habitat is in the desert. In case anything happens, I'll be able to protect you."

"Mina should go to the seas, she's the only one who's capable of swimming in her animal form," Jihyo nodded to the younger girl. Mina nods back. "I'll take Wheein-unnie. Someone with a good night vision or tracking sense should come with me. It's either Jeong, Mo, or Chaeng."

"I'll pass," Chaeyoung refused and instead linking her arm with Jeongyeon. "I'll go to Hyejin-unnie. Just in case we fell from the cliff, cats always landed on their feet. I'm a cat. Hopefully, I'll be able to cushion our fall. And I'll take Jeongyeon-unnie. Can't risk Momo-unnie to go near a cliff. No offense, unnie."

Momo waved her hand in dismissal. "None taken. My balance can be problematic at times. I'll go with you, Ji. My scavenger senses might help in total darkness. And I can still use my super speed, in case you're wondering."

"Okay, good," Jihyo grinned. "Okay, that left Dubu and Nayeon-unnie. You guys go with Mina, or...?"

Nayeon shares a look with Dahyun. Both nodded and shot a grin at Jihyo. "We'll be with Minari. The seas seem to be quite dangerous, and we can't risk Sana and Chaeng to have an additional burden in case the worse comes to worst."

"You're not a burden.." Chaeyoung trailed confusedly. She tried to grab Dahyun's hand, as if asking for a permission.

"No one is," Dahyun grinned. She grasped Chaeyoung hesitant fingers. "Just, this time, it'll be better if we go this way. Okay?"

The cat agreed, still a bit hesitant. Jeongyeon shook her head and pull Chaeyoung's arm firmly. "We have to go. We've wasted too much time here. In all we know, our unnies might be in a grave danger."

"What Jeongyeon said," Jihyo agrees. She put her hand forward, smiling when her friends reciprocate her gestures. "You guys remember our cheer back at the academy?"

Eight different voices answered Jihyo excitedly. The red haired girl grinned then clenched her hand into a fist, followed by her friends.

"Hana!" Jihyo, Nayeon and Jeongyeon shouted.

"Dul!" Sana, Mina and Momo yelled.

"Set!" Chaeyoung, Dahyun and Tzuyu came last.

"ONE IN A MILLION. ONE IN FOREVER! GAJA! GAJA! GAJA! HUZZAH!!!"

###

_Byulyi's POV_

 

So.

I feel like dying.

I groaned, lifting my hand to shield my eyes from the harsh sun. Where am I actually? The last thing I remember was that I, along with Mo and Jeong and the other Anihumans plus the keepers were called to the Soshi castle. Then everything's a blur, and when I woke up, I'm already in the middle of fucking nowhere with only sand as the scenery.

By the way, I'm stuck.

I know I'm trapped in a desert, but to think that I can't move further than 1 square meter is really confusing. I've tried to feel around me, and I deduced that those Soshi team are confining me in a glass cage.

Emphasis on 'glass'.

Emphasis on 'desert'.

Emphasis on 'sun'.

I gulped, flinching at the pain in my throat. It's been about an hour since I woke up, and I slowly feel the dreaded upcoming of dehydration. I've been sweating a lot, as expected for a person sitting on a sand dune with nothing as their protection. Plus the glass surrounding me making the air feels 100x hotter.

It's as if I'm inside a greenhouse. A human-sized greenhouse thrown at the desert for a human experiment.

Maybe the rulers want to test my limit. Why me? I mean, I'm not the one challenging their throne as a ruler. Or maybe Tiffany-sshi somehow wanted me as a ruler? But I'm human? Will I be able to live here? What do they even eat? Will I have friends here?

Talking about friends, how's Yongsun and those two maknaes doing? Are they suffering like me, too? Or are they the one who's actually behind this? I knew I shouldn't have believed in Yongsun's and Wheein's innocent faces. Hyejin's not innocent. I always feel creeped out by her. No, not creeped out. But I'm panicking. Yeah. I'm always panicking when she's doing some bizarre things around me.

Like, there's this feeling that she always judged and knows exactly what I'm thinking. I think she's a witch. Yeah, she's a witch. And Wheein's her familiar. She's definitely a dog.

What about Yongsun, though? She's not familiar-like. Hyejin seems to respect her. Maybe Yongsun's a witch too. A stronger witch, even. I'm always feeling weak when she looks at me with those honey brown eyes of her.

Hey, look. I'm starting to ramble. The dehydration came too fast for my liking.

I slumped my body to the glass wall. Even if the scorching heat pained my back, I don't have any more strength to lift my body.

I shrugged.

Oh, well.

Guess I'll just die for now.

 

_End of Byulyi's POV_

###

_Wheein's POV_

 

...

 

_End Wheein's POV_

###

_Yongsun's POV_

 

I sighed, playing with my fingers as I tried not to take a look at the _things_ outside my glass cage. Yeah, glass cage. Surprise surprise, the 'participation' I and the other keepers are supposed to give is to become fish food.

Summary, I'm currently crouching inside a glass cage a bit bigger than my body, but still small nonetheless. The blue views around me told me that I was put in the depth of the ocean. I could see the sand under me, moving slightly following the deep current.

There are reefs surrounding me, but I don't really have the desire to appreciate their beauty because of the creatures swimming not far from me.

Sharks. Lots of it.

I'm well aware that I'm afraid of any creature capable of biting me to death. So I just sat there in the middle of my cage, frowning while playing with my fingers and muttering any prayer to any God listening. In case one of them are moved to help me.

Or, in this case.. moved to let my Anihuman sisters know that I'm at the edge of having a panic attack here.

So I closed my eyes, hoping for anyone to come and rescue me.

I'll wait, I'm patient. I know my sisters will come to me.

I believe in them.

Yeah.

 **I believe in them**.

 

_End of Yongsun's POV_

_###_

_Hyejin's POV_

 

BOI AM I SCREWED.

 

_To be continued..._


	11. The Swaying Flower and The Trembling Star

Chapter 11

 

"Unnie!! Do you see what I'm seeing?"

"Of, course! I'm not blind!"

The first team to reach their destination is (unsurprisingly) the CatDog duo. The castle of the Soshi team is indeed located at the eastern side of the region. That made them nearer to the chasm where Hyejin is. Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung run alongside the cliff's edge, eyes trying to catch any anomalies at the cliff. Any anomaly to indicate Hyejin's whereabouts.

Mina was right. There are diamonds littering the valley, decorating both the plain and the canyon surrounding it. Combine that with the strong sunlight and you'll be blind at times.

A sudden harsh blow of the wind stopped both of them on their track. Fortunately, the wind carries a whiff of scent that Jeongyeon knows all too well.

"Chaeng! I think I've found her!" Jeongyeon exclaimed, instantly turning to her animal form to use her smelling sense more effectively.

"Where? I can't see anything from here!" Chaeyoung followed her teammate's idea to turns into their animal form. The cat's pupils are slits now, trying to adjust herself with the blinding light reflected by the diamonds.

"I can't see anything either but I know she's near!" Jeongyeon howled in frustration. She sniffs the air more, whipping her head in any direction the wind came from. "Wait, hold on. Chaeng! Try to see to that cliff sticking out from the other side! My eyes are hurting!"

Chaeyoung squints her eyes, craning her neck to have a better view of the other side of the cliff. Her eyes immediately widen when she saw something.

"Jeong-unnie! It's her! She's here alright!" Chaeyoung jumped hysterically, but then quieted down when she saw the things surrounding her unnie's cage. "And... she's not good."

"What? What happened?"

Chaeyoung gulped. "Jeong-unnie. How many vultures are you able to fight in one time?"

###

_Hyejin's POV_

 

I'm screwed I'm screwed I'm screwed I'm screwed I'm screwed.

Oh God where am I!

What I managed to gather in the few minutes that I've been awake is that... I... am... trapped inside a see-through cage. And not just trapped either. This cage and I are chained to a protruding cliff which I think is really thin and won't be able to support me much longer.

I tried to look downwards, but my eyes are immediately blinded by the light coming from below. What is that shining at the bottom of the ravine, anyway! Well, the only thing I'm thankful for is that the blinding light made me unable to look downward straight to the ravine's base, or I might have nausea or even throwing up now.

My soul nearly jumped and leave my body when a loud crash resounds from behind me. Something must have slammed to my cage because now it's rocking hard. I talk too soon about the nausea, I'm starting to have one now.

My hands instinctively flew forwards, trying to balance my body in this swaying glass cage. I tried to look behind me to see what's slamming to my cage and regret it the second later.

It's a bird. A massive, bald bird with a scary looking beak and wings wider than my whole body length. Its talons are creepily long, scratching my cage angrily. In the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a group of birds nesting on the cliffside, all similar to the bird attacking me.

And now they're all stretching their wings. Preparing to fly and probably attacking me as well.

BOI AM I SCREWED.

 

_End of Hyejin's POV_

###

"Unnie, what should we do!"

Jeongyeon gripped her head, trying to calm her pounding heart enough so she can think of a plan. They're now standing at the tip of a cliff across Hyejin's cliff. Chaeyoung has been sauntering around Jeongyeon, looking for any way to cross the chasm without having to scale the ravine wall.

Chaeyoung is also getting more and more stressed. The more time they spend thinking, the harder those vultures attacking Hyejin's cage.

"Chaeng, we have to jump," Jeongyeon finally said, gritting her teeth. The younger Anihuman whipped her had in the older's direction in surprise.

"Jump? Jump where?" Chaeyoung eyed the cage nervously. "To the cliff or to the cage?"

"To the cage of course," Jeongyeon had started pacing the cliff's edge in her animal form, measuring the distance. "The cage's too far down from the cliff for us to drive out the vultures properly."

"But the cliff's so thin!" Chaeyoung cried out. "It'll fall off if we add our weight to the cage."

Jeongyeon bats her eyelashes. "Not if we're small enough. Come on, Chae! Your cat and my dog are not that much of an additional weight!"

Chaeyoung bit her lip, hesitant, but her eyes flared when a vulture slammed it body to Hyejin's cage hard.

"Fine! Let's go, Jeongyeon-unnie!"

###

On the other side of the region, another team has made it to their designated area.

"Alright, so what will we do now, Chewy-ah?" Sana asked from Tzuyu's back, her claws gripping Tzuyu's feather tightly.

The black crow clicked her tongue. She's been flying nonstop on her top speed since they split up, but they only managed to reach the desert in an hour. It's been another hour since they enter the desert and everything Tzuyu could see is sand. And cacti.

"According to the wind, we have reached the red area by now," Tzuyu groaned. "But I've seen nothing and there are no disturbances on the wind current that told me about Byulyi-unnie's exact location."

Sana just nodded, her claws stroked Tzuyu's neck feathers while her snout snuggled the latter's shoulder. Sana knows how the younger girl tends to get frustrated easily. Being her roommate for five straight years, Sana had memorized when did Tzuyu gets riled up and how to calm her down.

"Unnie, I'll put you down for now," Tzuyu's exasperated tone turned on Sana's internal alarm.

"What? What are you going to do, Chewy?"

Tzuyu clicked her tongue again, slowly diving to the sand. "I'll try to fly higher and scan the whole desert."

The lizard nodded. She dropped herself off of Tzuyu's back, shooting her a warning look once the crow starts to flap her wings. "No more than 250, Chewy. Okay?"

"Sure."

With that, Tzuyu soars to the sky. The crow flew high, stopping when she feels her lungs starting to protest. She turned her head here and there, finding nothing and scowled. Tzuyu looks up, at the inviting altitude, but then she looks down at the worried face of her ex-roommate.

Tzuyu dives. Sana welcomed her. "So, you get anything?"

The younger girl shook her head sadly. "No."

Sana pats her teammate's head in sympathy, getting a bit surprised when Tzuyu stares at her with a hard look.

"I'm going up," Tzuyu said sternly.

"Wha–"

Sana didn't manage to finish her word because Tzuyu turned animal and kicked the ground. The older Anihuman coughed when she gets a whole mouth of sand. She then looks up, eyes widened as she realized what Tzuyu meant by that.

"CHEWY-AH! Oh my God this brainless girl. CHOU TZUYU COME BACK HERE!!!"

Tzuyu hears nothing. She flew vertically, ignoring the pressing atmosphere and the grip of gravity on her body. Tzuyu pushed her body to her limit, care not of the start of wheezing in her breath and the pain creeping her muscles. Tzuyu only stopped once she realized that she's flying about 500 meters above the ground. Twice her usual limitation.

The crow gritted her teeth, forcing her body to withstand the crushing pressure. She opened her eyes and scanned the surrounding area, trying hard to keep her body floating.

An oasis at the left corner of her eye caught her attention.

She squints, fighting the dizziness she feels. The oasis's fluctuating.

Tzuyu quickly measures the distance before a sudden sharp pain on her chest left her breathless. She'd heard this condition before. The loss of breath because of the overwhelming pressure at her lungs. Unable to keep her body floating anymore, Tzuyu closes her eyes and fall.

"TZUYU!!!"

###

Back at the cliffside, Hyejin was just about to surrender to her fate when her cage shook violently. She heard the rattle of chains followed by a pained screech of the bird assaulting her. The girl looks up to see a black cat with white paws and a grey furred dog perched on top of her cage.

"Please tell me you guys are Chaeng and Jeongyeon," Hyejin pleads.

The black cat grinned at her. "It's me, unnie! Don't worry, we'll save you!"

The dog winked at her. "Just hold on a while longer and we'll be outta here!"

"Okay! Thanks! I'll be.. y'know.. trying to keep my insides intact while you guys fight the birds! Cheers!" Hyejin laughed but was cut short as she feels the nausea returns with full force. "Oh, shit. I'm going to puke."

Jeongyeon barked, catching the vultures' attention while Chaeyoung worked her way to destroy the cage. The dog's grey pelt shined with a dull yellow light as she uses her powers to drive off the approaching birds. Flashes of light were shot from her muzzle, hitting the birds and setting some of them on fire.

Chaeyoung clawed on the cage, coating her tiny paws with dull green light as she punched a hole on the cage. Her efforts paid off eventually, but when she tried to enlarge it, a bird flew by and snatched her away.

"Chaeyoung!"

Hyejin's panicked call made Jeongyeon aware that her teammate's in danger. The dog snarled, shooting light attacks to the bird carrying her friend. Chaeyoung, too, fights the bird aggressively. She slashed her claws to the bird's talon, drawing blood and making the bird's grip loosening.

"Chaeng, don't do that! You'll fall off!" Jeongyeon's warning fell on deaf ears.

Chaeyoung grasped the bird's torso with her free paw, piercing the flesh and holding on to whatever she could touch. Her hind legs kicked the bird's other talon until it let her whole body free. She then launched herself upwards, catching the bird's neck between her teeth.

The vulture struggled to free itself from Chaeyoung's attack but the cat gave no mercy. Chaeyoung scratched the bird's wing joints deeply, causing it to lose its ability to fly and rapidly losing altitude. Chaeyoung released the bird's bleeding neck, crawling to its back and jumped back to the cage.

Her sharpened claws preventing her to slide down. Chaeyoung grunted, punching the glass cage as it slowly cracks. Yet, once more, her attempts to free Hyejin are disturbed because a bird slammed its body straight to the cage, crashing it to the cliff wall.

Jeongyeon yelped. She lost her hold at the chain hanging the cage and fell down to the ravine. Luckily, she managed to grab Chaeyoung's hind leg.

"JEONGYEON-UNNIE!!" Chaeyoung cried in pain as the force of Jeongyeon's fall pulled her joints uncomfortably.

"CHAEYOUNG I'M SORRY!"

"I THINK YOU DISLOCATES MY BUTT!!"

"ARE YOU GUYS OKAY?!"

Both Anihumans looks up to see Hyejin offering her hands. Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon accept them happily as the human hauled the animals into the destroyed cage. Only a half of the glass cage is intact, the other half shattered when it crashed to the cliff's wall.

"Okay, now the cage's broken. What do we do?" Hyejin asked, hands holding on whatever left of the cage to prevents herself from falling. "We can't possibly jump down, right?"

"Of course not. How about we climb up the chain? Can you do that, unnie?"

"I'm like, the most sedentary-lifestyled keeper here. So, no, I can not."

Jeongyeon bit her lip, eyes darting to her surrounding to find any suitable way for their escape. "Shit, there's nothing here that Hyejin-unnie can pass easily. It's all rock."

Chaeyoung clenches her fists. "Yeah, and I really doubt our ability to jump and not die at contact with the ground."

The older girl shook her head. "It's impossible."

The two girls sulked, thinking hard to find a seemingly impossible way out of this situation. The cliff walls are too narrow. They won't be able to climb up and if they slide down, the diamonds downward are too sharp for them to proceed safely.

The cold hand on their nape made the two Anihumans turned their attention. Hyejin stared at them with a smile, eyes burning with confidence. "We'll find a way. We'll find a way to escape this cliff and we'll come back home. Your examiners won't put me here knowing you're unable to pass. This test may be hard, but there's always a way to ace this."

Chaeyoung answered Hyejin's smile, brushing her body to her keeper's leg. "Thank you, unnie."

Jeongyeon smiled as well. She licks Hyejin's fingers, finding comfort in the keeper's gentle touch. "Yes. I know. We just need to think a bit harder to find a way out."

Hyejin grinned. "Thinking hard won't get you far. Try to think crazy. You got me?"

She then stood, balancing herself on the remaining part of the glass cage and whips her head.

"Now, where are those creepy birds who attacked me? They'll fucking pay for making me nearly losing my breakfast."

###

"Chewy-ah, are we moving on the right way?"

Sana asked the girl draped on her back. Tzuyu nodded limply. Her body hurts too much because of the previous stunt of 'breaking her limit'. Good news is that she did it. Bad news, she broke her body along with her limits.

The crow-girl winces when she feels a sharp pain on her chest again. Her respiratory muscles are constricting painfully whenever she breathe now. So the tall girl could only rely on the older yet shorter girl to carry her across the desert.

On foot.

As humans.

Tzuyu would have scoffed at her own stupidity if she's not in a constant pain. She could physically feel Sana's exhaustion for having to carry a girl who is slightly bigger than herself. Sana's back is drenched with sweat. Her soft brown locks sticking to her face and neck. Her arms are trembling, tied under Tzuyu's legs to prevents her from falling.

Tzuyu almost said sorry to the other girl when the lizard squealed.

"Oh my God, I see her!"

Tzuyu cracked her eye open, catching a blurry vision of a silver haired girl laying lifelessly on a sand dune. She felt Sana slowly dropping her until she felt sand under her hand.

"Chewy, I'm sorry but I have to leave you first! I'll be back with Byulyi-unnie!" said the other girl happily. She must have been ecstatic to be able to find Byulyi because she didn't hear Tzuyu's hoarse warning.

"Storm. Unnie.."

Sana had run off.

Tzuyu groaned. She gripped her knees hard, forcing herself to stand on her own two legs. The dizziness attacks again, and Tzuyu closes her eyes tight. The young Anihuman whispered to herself that she'll be okay and took a step forward.

Her lungs ached with every effort she put to make her body moves, but she managed nonetheless. Tzuyu lifts her head to see the approaching red cloud, cursing inside her head when Sana literally had zero clues about the disaster. Maybe she's too occupied with Byulyi to realize that a sandstorm is coming.

Sana is, indeed, too occupied with Byulyi. Once she reached the older girl's cage, Sana broke the cage in one swipe of her pinkish aura attack. Having a good look on the keeper, she immediately could point that there's something wrong with Byulyi. Very wrong, even.

Byulyi's unconscious.

Her complexion's deathly pale.

And no matter how hard Sana presses her ear to Byulyi's chest, she hears no heartbeat.

###

"You are the craziest, unnie!" Chaeyoung exclaimed in horror. The cat is currently hanging for dear life on the nape feathers of one of the vulture while her keeper laughs maniacally on top of the bird's back. Jeongyeon is also in the same state with her teammate, clutching the bird's back tightly in her dog form.

"Oh, come on! This is the only way we could escape that horrible place!" Hyejin hollered in laughter, her hand clutching the bird's feather as she steered the avian to the top of the cliffs.

Once the bird hovers close enough to the ground, Hyejin let her grip go and jumped down. Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon followed, the latter shot an aura attack from her muzzle when the bird tried to attack its illegal riders.

"Thank you for the ride but please don't come back here!" the grey dog yelled loudly. She then turned to the orange haired keeper, showing her fangs as she grinned widely. "I couldn't believe that you're the one who ended up saving us."

"Me?" Hyejin points at herself in disbelief. "No, I only gave you the idea. You guys are the one executing it. You saved my life, and I'll never be able to pay you back."

"You just have to love me and that's payback enough," Chaeyoung, already in her human form, threw her arms around Hyejin's neck and nuzzled her shoulder. "I'm glad that you're okay. I.. I'm really afraid that something bad will happen to you."

Hyejin patted her sister's back. "You know I won't. I'm strong. And I know you're also so strong you'll be able to save me from everything."

Jeongyeon smiled looking at their interaction. She can't help but to feel worried about her own unnie. Hyejin apparently senses her worries and wrapped an arm around Jeongyeon's shoulder.

"Hey, cheer up, Jeong. Believe in your friends. If Byulyi-unnie's in the same dangerous situation as me, they'll protect her. Just like how you protected and saved me," she patted Jeongyeon's back. "And if my intuition right, is Sana's not here to go to Byulyi-unnie?"

The dog Anihuman nodded. "Yeah, yeah she is."

"Then you don't have to worry," Hyejin's smile widened. "Sana's a great girl. She'll be back with Byulyi safely."

Jeongyeon doesn't have a chance to answer because a flurry of rainbow feathers took her attention. She and Chaeyoung immediately tensed, thinking that this rainbow colored beast is another enemy until they see the golden eyes with a familiar shine.

"Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung, Hyejin-sshi," the beast spoke, and the three of them recognized her instantly.

"Seohyun-sunbaenim!"

Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung kneeled but the beast's scaled muzzle prevents them from doing so.

"Don't do that," the bird-like beast smiled. "I come to fetch you. Come with me. We'll return to the castle and wait for the others."

Seohyun turned, showing her massive back to the three. They stood dumbly watching Seohyun's beautiful feathers. The ruler chuckled, waking them from their daze. "What are you waiting for? Come. We'll be flying our way home."

###

"Byulyi-unnie! Oh my God, unnie, please, open your eyes!!"

Sana shouted loudly to the unconscious keeper before her. She'd give the older girl some sets of CPR, but Sana still can't feel Byulyi's heartbeat. Tears welled up in the Anihuman's eyes. If Byulyi died, not only will she fail the test, but she'll also fail her friends. Jeongyeon and Momo must have loved their unnie dearly, and if Sana failed to bring Byulyi home safely, both of them will be destroyed.

Sana doesn't want that.

She doesn't want to see her friends getting hurt more.

_(Mina was enough.)_

So she tried to carry Byulyi's body, ignoring the pain in her muscles from carrying Tzuyu across the desert and turned on her heels...

...to find an exhausted face of Chou Tzuyu not much further than a foot from her.

"Wha– ho– What the hell, Tzuyu! Don't surprise me like that!"

The younger girl just sighed. "I..."

Tzuyu winces in pain. Her chest is acting up again. "I.. tried. To warn... you... storm."

"Huh?" Sana whips her head back, eyes bulging out of its sockets at the view of the upcoming red clouds. "Oh no! Chewy, what should we do now!"

The younger girl only growled, throwing one of Byulyi's arms across her own shoulder and pulled the limp body against her taller frame, wobbling a bit on the additional weight but managed stood up straight. She nodded at Sana, poking the older's waist with her thumb.

"..move.."

Both Anihuman walked together while keeping Byulyi's body straight. Sana's happy that the keeper's body still warm, meaning that there's still hope that Byulyi's still alive. While Tzuyu, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her eyes open and her body moving. The excruciating pain in her chest is getting too much to handle.

 _'No! I'm an Anihuman! I'm stronger than this!_ '

Tzuyu grunted and this doesn't go unnoticed by Sana.

"Chewy-ah, are you okay?"

"Y-yes.." Tzuyu answers weakly. She could hear the loud wind in her ears and she's getting worried. There's no way they'll be able to escape the sandstorm. Not if they're moving in this pace.

A harsh wind hit her body and she coughed as she inhaled sand. Sana gasped, but Tzuyu couldn't see anything. The sandstorm has reached them. On her peripheral, Tzuyu could see Sana's opening her mouth–probably calling her–but Tzuyu's already too weak to properly react.

Tzuyu feels her leg tripped on something before she fell, bringing Byulyi with her. She choked back a sob, feeling the impending doom of failure and the pain in her chest and the sting on her back because of the storm. The youngest Anihuman shut her eyes tightly, holding Byulyi's body close and feeling like she's ready to just die here and now.

"Don't give up, Tzuyu-ah!"

Sana.

The lizard girl gritted her teeth as she crouched behind Tzuyu and Byulyi, shielding both of them from the wind. Despite her smaller stature, Sana stood bravely, wrapping her arms around Tzuyu and Byulyi. Her eyes are wet with tears but she strongly withstood the storm.

"I won't give up! So you shouldn't give up either!" Sana yelled, hoping that her voice will reach Tzuyu. "We'll return home, Chewy-ah!"

Tzuyu flinched. She'd heard what Sana said, but her body didn't listen. Her hand touches Sana's face, trying to tell her that she hadn't give up.

 _But her body had_.

The younger Anihuman forces back her tears when a massive shape shields her eyes from the sand. Sana too, surprised at the sudden appearance behind her, turned to look at a massive, scaly beast with dark brown eyes.

"You'll be okay. Hold on," the beast spoke. Sooyoung. Her short arms with its three claws moved to grab Tzuyu's collar and pulled her up.

The girl wobbled on her feet then falls again only to be caught by another big creature. She lifts her head, meeting a pair of kind purple eyes of a white pelted horse. Tzuyu feels a movement beside her chest and shifts to find a pair of feathered wings jutting out the of horse's shoulder.

"Hello, kids," the winged horse said calmly. "Sana, put Byulyi on my back."

Sana bowed slightly. "Yes, Tiffany-sunbaenim."

She then proceeds to haul Byulyi's unconscious body to the Pegasus's back. Tiffany smiled, eye smile still presents even in her animal form, and she flapped her wings. "Both of you go with Soo. I'll go first."

"Will..." Tzuyu's hoarse voice caught Tiffany's attention. "Byulyi-unnie be... okay?"

Tiffany touches Tzuyu's cheek with her muzzle. "She's dehydrated but she'll be fine. Worry not, we'll keep our promise."

She winked once and turned her back. "Be careful, all of you."

After Tiffany's departure, Sooyoung bit Sana's nape carefully. She threw the younger girl to her back, repeating the movement to Tzuyu until both younger Anihumans perched safely on her back, holding her scales.

"Don't fall, girls," she warned lightly then took off, cutting through the storm with her wide strides.

Sana can only nod, holding both Sooyoung's scale and Tzuyu's weak body to keep her from falling down.

"We're going back."

 

_To be continued..._


	12. The Sun and The Whispering Wind

Chapter 12

 

_Cold..._

"Momo! Can't you move a bit faster, for God sake!"

"My left leg's literally detached from its socket! I'm trying my hardest here!"

Jihyo groaned. She and Momo are now in the middle of scaling the mountainside, racing with time to reach Wheein. The journey to the mountain itself from their splitting point is easy. But once they climb up the mountain, Momo's condition hindered them from moving fast.

Her super speed power could only bring her so much before she collapsed. Jihyo unrolled the map she brought, marking the 13th place she'd stopped to wait for Momo since they ascended. The bat-girl massaged her temple. Their destination is still too far for her liking and they can't move in her preferred pace. But she also can't leave Momo alone.

"..hyo.."

Jihyo's frustrated. Isn't there any other way to reach the Dragon's Belly faster?

"JIHYO!"

"WHAT!"

Momo looks at Jihyo with an annoyed expression, but quickly softens when she sees Jihyo's stressed face. "I think I found something."

The older girl's statement made Jihyo stood up from her squatting position. "What? Where? How?"

The raccoon points at a small crack hidden by a big tree. Jihyo wouldn't even notice the hole had Momo didn't show it to her. The younger Anihuman took Momo's hand, carefully helping the older girl to climb up the rocks leading to the crack. Once they reached the gap, Jihyo measures the size and concluded that it's big enough for a human.

"So what did you found?" Jihyo asked the other girl.

Momo had started walking into the crack in her raccoon form. "Feels something different inside. And the smell's crazy familiar. Gotta believe in my random scavenger sense here, I can't really explain."

_Help..._

"Feels something like what?"

"Like," Momo hesitates, sniffing the air.

 _Please_...

The raccoon suddenly growled, fur standing menacingly.

_Save me..._

"Like desperation."

The raccoon glowed white, eyes shining red and she bolted.

###

"Oh, God, why."

Mina stood at the tip of a cliff, looking downward at the raging waves with an extremely troubled expression. Behind her, Nayeon and Dahyun are in the same condition. They've reached the southern sea since fifteen minutes ago but still can't find any clues about Yongsun's exact location.

Dahyun looks upward, shivering at the rolling clouds. Flashes of light illuminate them when the thunder rolls. "Unnie, we have to move fast. The storm's coming quick."

"I know, I know," Nayeon bit her fingers, eyes scanning their surrounding. They're already standing on top of the infamous Shark Reef, but the steep cliff stopped them from diving.

"I think the cliff's 10 meters in height. But I can't assume the water's depth because the waves are too strong. We can't risk ourselves to just dive," the oldest Anihuman muses out loud. She doesn't realize that one of her younger teammate's currently crawling on all four pacing at the cliff's edge.

"Mina-unnie what the heck are you doing," Dahyun's the one realizing Mina's strange behavior. The penguin girl just grunted, craning her neck further to see the sea under her.

"Measuring the sea depth," Mina answers matter-of-factly. "Nayeon-unnie, I'm going to jump."

"Mwo?" Nayeon immediately pulled Mina's collar, effectively stopping the girl from diving recklessly. Plus, she gets to choke the (supposedly) academy ace while doing so. "You crazy?! That's rock-bottom down there! Mina remember you're not an adult Anihuman! You won't survive if you hit the corals!"

Mina stares at Nayeon blankly. "No, I will. I'm small enough to dodge the rocks once I've reached the water."

"No, Mina," Nayeon put her hands on Mina's cheeks, squeezing them in annoyance. "Listen, we can't act carelessly now. If you injure yourself, we won't be able to save Yongsun-unnie!"

"B-But..."

"Her safety's important, but we have to think about our own well-being, too," Nayeon sighed, releasing Mina once she feels that the younger girl won't object. "We have to keep our cool and think for a plan, you understand?"

Mina hung her head low, refusing to meet Nayeon's eyes. "Arraseo, unnie."

Nayeon sighed. "Okay, good. That's why we–"

"That's why I'm going to save her!" Mina suddenly sprinted, jumped from the cliff's end and turned to her animal form in the air.

"MINARI!!!"

Too late. Nayeon could only see the splash as Mina hit the water. The bunny watches nervously, waiting for any sign of blood in case Mina hurt herself and found none. Thankfully, she saw a small creature in black and white moving between the rocks.

The oldest Anihuman sighed both in relief and in anger. She took her shirt off, catching Dahyun by surprise when she threw her clothes to the younger Anihuman.

"Nayeon-unnie, what are you doing?"

"I'll help Mina," the girl said while pulling her pants down. After she's only left in her underwear, Nayeon looks at Dahyun seriously. "Dubu, I need you to stay here. If the storm came and I can't find Yongsun-unnie, I'll return quickly. But if I or Mina failed to return in two hours, run. Go back to the castle and report to the Soshi team. I don't care if I failed this test but I won't let Mina swim around alone like that. Please, Dubu. You're my only hope. You won't disappoint your eldest unnie, ne?"

Dahyun nodded hastily. "I won't. I promise."

"Good," Nayeon tapped Dahyun's head lovingly. "Remind me to strangle Mina after we return home."

With that, Nayeon jumped to the water and disappeared.

###

Jihyo fly with purpose once she heard an echo of a whimper somewhere within the caves. Once in a while, she opened her mouth to let out an ultrasonic scream. It's one of her power as a bat, having echolocation to help her navigates easily even in total darkness.

Momo runs below her using her super speed power. The raccoon stops sometimes, catching her breath and reenergizing herself before bolting into the darkness deeper that Jihyo. Momo has no trouble seeing in the dark, thanks for her extraordinary night vision. Still, her one eye can't see faster than her movement, making her grunted in agony when her disabled body hit the stalagmites at times.

_Sob..._

"Mo, I heard it again!" Jihyo yelled, her voice booming in the narrow cavern. "We're near!"

"Keep moving, then!" Momo answers then yelped because she tripped on some random rock. "Oh, fuck me and fuck that berserk Yeti."

"Momo! Language!"

"Yes, Mom!" Momo grunted, pushing herself up and continues her sprints. "Ji, I heard something else!"

"What is!"

_Sss.._

"It's," Momo groaned. "Oh, fuck me again."

"MOMO!"

"SNAKES!" the raccoon yelled. She's pulling her own scalp, angry at herself and at the voices echoed on the cave's walls. "There are snakes here! And for all I know they are near Wheein-unnie's location!"

"Shoot," Jihyo bit her lower lip, flying even faster to the direction of the voices she heard.

It took only a short amount of time for Jihyo to finally locates a wide chamber between all the tunnels. She rushes into the room, gasped when she sees a curling body of a girl at the top of a rock. The girl with the brown hair is hugging her own knees, trembling and sobbing quietly as dozens of snakes slithering around her rock.

"WHEEIN-UNNIE!"

###

_Yongsun's POV_

 

How many hours have I spent sitting in this corner of the sea?

I've been singing any song I know, and I've been at the point of boredom that I don't feel afraid of the sharks swimming around me. Besides, it's not like they're going to hurt me. Only a few sharks are brave enough to go near my glass cage, but they gave up as soon as their snout touched the sleek surface.

...

Maybe it would be refreshing if I can get out of this cage and swim alongside them. At least I won't be bored.

I sighed for the nth time this day when the ground beside my cage suddenly exploded. I shrieked, mostly surprised as the sharks surrounding me swim upward. I followed their movement and I gasped.

That's.. that's...

"MINA!"

There's no mistaking the small monochromatic bird swimming gracefully around the reefs. The penguin moves quickly, dodging the attacking sharks with her rolls and subtle drifts. I see some of the sharks angrily chasing her but my Mina didn't relent.

Another shockwave was made when a flash of light blasted the sharks away. It doesn't kill them but it will certainly hurt. A human this time, followed Mina and blasting the sharks chasing her. I squint my eyes to recognize this new guest.

Her bunny teeth is an obvious giveaway.

"Nayeon!"

She seemingly heard my call because she grinned at me before chasing another shark. I was awed by her swimming technique I didn't realize a penguin hitting her beak on my cage. I turned to see Mina, once more transformed into her human body punching my cage. Her fist is covered by a bluish light.

I gasped when her fist made contact with the glass and it cracked. Mina shot me a look, warning me about what she's going to do.

I nodded. I took a deep breath as Mina pulls her fist backward, launching it to the glass cage with all her might.

Water quickly invaded my personal space for the last two hours or so, drowning me and choking me with its deep sea pressure. I close my eyes, holding tightly on Mina's hand while she drags me to the surface.

 

_End of Yongsun's POV_

###

"Shit," Momo mumbled under her breath when she sees Wheein's current condition. The girl's curled on top of a rock, shivering in fear. Jihyo had reached the girl, but the red-haired Anihuman still can't move Wheein from her position. The brown haired keeper doesn't even respond. Momo shot a look at Jihyo, asking her what's wrong.

Jihyo's troubled expression told Momo everything.

Wheein's having a panic attack.

Understandable. She –a normal, human, college student– was left alone in a total darkness surrounded by dozens of snakes without any barrier between them. The snakes may not give any attention to Wheein, but their hissing sound certainly does the trick of creeping her out of her wits.

Jihyo had tried to call Wheein's name and even shaking her lightly, but the girl just didn't budge.

Momo clicked her tongue, "Ji, we have to get her out of here first!"

"Okay! I'll carry her!" Jihyo called back, already tucking Wheein's smaller frame into her arms.

The bat-girl was about to descend from the rocks when Momo felt a sharp pain at her left ankle. The raccoon yowled, pulling her injured leg quickly and nearly losing her balance in the process. Momo looked down, gulped when her eyes met a dozen pair of gleaming yellow eyes.

If the snakes hadn't pay any attention to Wheein beforehand, they certainly paid her their attention now.

"Ji, I think the snakes' hate me," the older girl took a step back. She's testing if the snakes really are attracted to (murder) her or it was simply her mistake of disturbing that one reptile. Momo shivered when every single one of those slithering animals followed her movement.

She took a look at the snakes, then moved her vision to the two girls embracing each other on top of the sole rock.

Momo got an idea.

"Jihyo! These snakes are following me! You and Wheein-unnie are free to go! I'll attract them so you can bring her outside safely!" she shouted.

But Jihyo glared at her. "After what you've told us about your encounter with the berserk Ani?! Not a chance, champ! I'm not leaving you here!"

"Jihyo!" Momo wailed. "It's different now! They're just snakes! I'll be nico nico niing my way outta here once you disappeared into the tunnel! I won't stay long!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Jihyo shouted back. "Mina will kill me if you're hurt again!"

"What does this have anything to do with Min-AAHHHH!!!" the raccoon screamed, jumping back quickly when another snake buried its fangs into her ankle. She growled, eyes once more blazing red as a sign of her heightened adrenaline.

"I'll shoo these snakes! You go first! I'll be just behind you!" Momo snarled, her hands glowed white as she slashed at the snakes approaching her. The swipes of her hands sent a wave of wind pushing the snakes away. "Please, just, just listen to me!"

Having no other choice, Jihyo reluctantly followed Momo's order. She lifts Wheein and took off, sparing one last glance to the girl cornered by the pack of snakes. She runs quickly, forcing her eyes to see any obstacles so she won't drop the keeper in her arms.

A long howl echoed on the walls, nearly made Jihyo's heart jumped from her chest. She looks back once, seeing the telltale blinks of Momo's super speed and sighed in relief. The older girl falls into the same step as her, shooting Jihyo a wink as both escaped the darkness into the light.

###

Dahyun closes her eyes, feeling the trickle of water pouring down on her. Her clothes are soaked, but she sat still on the cliff's edge. It's been an hour since Nayeon and Mina jumped into the water. It's also been half an hour since the rain started pouring down with no sign of her teammates' return.

Her fingers are turning blue because of the cold. Dahyun hugged herself, burying her face on her knees. The crackle of the thunder made her barely heard the splash of water right in front of her. Dahyun lifts her face, meeting a heaving Nayeon drenched in seawater plus rainwater.

"Unnie!" the hamster exclaimed, jumping in joy and draping her unnie's clothes on her back.

Nayeon's quivering, her teeth hitting each other. Dahyun quickly embraced Nayeon in hope of sharing her body heat.

"Nayeon-unnie, where's Mina-unnie?" at Dahyun's question, Nayeon whipped her head.

"What? She was.. she was behind me! And she's with Yongsun-unnie, too!" Nayeon removed herself from Dahyun embrace, looking down to the cliff below.

There are no signs of Mina.

"Oh God, Mina," Nayeon gripped the cliff's edge, tearing up. "Where are you?"

Dahyun followed Nayeon's movement to crouch on the cliff's edge. She scans the shoreline, hoping to catch sight of her keeper and her teammate. Dahyun grew more anxious the longer she can't find them. She repeatedly sweeps the shoreline with her eyes, but she still can't find her unnies anywhere.

"Oh, no.. no, please, God, no.."

Dahyun nearly jumps into the raging waves if only a mantle was not draped around her back. She turned, finding a drenched lioness standing behind her. The lioness with the dark fur tugged both her and Nayeon.

"Hey. It's me. Kwon Yuri. I come to fetch you."

Both younger Anihuman just gaped, confused as for how the ruler is fetching them. Did they fail the test? What happened to Mina and Yongsun?

"Y-Yuri-sunbaenim..."

"Hush, now, young ones," Yuri smiled, showing her rows of fangs hidden on her jaw. "We're going home. Get to your animal form and jump to my back."

"But.." Nayeon stood, trying to object Yuri's offer. "Mina's still out there. And she's with Yongsun-unnie! We can't just leave them alone in the middle of the storm!"

Yuri shook her head. "We won't. But you won't be able to save them in your condition. Worry not, our members would never let anything bad befall your companions."

"This is bad enough for me," Dahyun mumbled quietly. Yuri flicked her ears as she heard what Dahyun had said but chose not to address it.

"Come on. The longer we're here, the harder the storm will be," Yuri said. She once more turned her back to the younger Anihumans. "Some of your friends have been waiting at the castle."

Nayeon and Dahyun nodded, transforming into their animal form and jumped to Yuri's back. As the lioness sprinted to the castle, Dahyun spared another forlorn look at the sea, hoping that Mina and Yongsun would somehow be okay.

###

"Huzzah! We did it!"

Momo jumped in ecstasy once she and Jihyo reached the outside world. She grinned at her companion who is breathing heavily, slowly placing the keeper in her arms at the ground. Momo immediately shut up. The situation dawned on her. Wheein's still having a panic attack and she doesn't respond to anything Jihyo do.

"Wheein-unnie," Jihyo starts, cooing into the older girl's ear. The bat-girl's hand softly rubbing circles to the keeper's back. "Hey, it's me, Jihyo."

"Unnie, you're safe," Momo copied Jihyo's gesture, wrapping her healthy arm around Wheein's fragile shoulder and pulling her to her body. "Momo and Jihyo is here, there's nothing to fear~"

The younger of the two touched Wheein's jaw, guiding her to lift her face and looking straight at Jihyo. As expected, the brown-haired keeper's eyes are unfocused, darting here and there trying to avoid Jihyo's stare.

"Wheein-unnie," Jihyo speaks again, very softly this time. "Can you hear me?"

Wheein's silent.

Jihyo sighed. "We're not making any progress, Mo."

Momo hummed in acknowledgment then stood. She motioned Jihyo to moves Wheein's head to follow her. The taller girl grinned, waving her hand to Wheein.

"Hello, Wheein-unnie! This is me, Momo!"

Silence.

"You may have known me as the limping Anihuman kept by Byulyi-unnie."

Still silence.

"But do you know that I'm also a certified dancer?"

Jihyo's jaw dropped. Momo has her mouth stretched wide in a grin as she flexes her body, careful of her injured leg. The younger girl took a look at Wheein, and somehow, **somehow** , Momo had made her interest piqued.

"Imma show you my sick moves," Momo said boastfully. The girl then proceeds to humm a song Jihyo doesn't know, moving her body to the rhythm of her own humming.

First, Momo put her hands together, moving them in a wave-like motion as she closes her eyes. She then spreads her arms, moving up and down while maintaining her body wave. Momo stopped after a few moments, still spreading her arms.

"Dahyun taught me this move a few years ago. She called it the eagle dance," Momo explained. "It's really easy! I'll show you how!"

The girl took a deep breath, then bowed deeply. Jihyo was just going to ask why Momo didn't lift her head when the girl flapped her arms –healthy or not– in a frantic movement that made Jihyo's head spinning.

"Bbasae woh! Bbasae woh! Bbasae bbasae bbasae wohh!!"

Momo changed her dance moves in a few moments, opting to jumps up and down and flipping her shoulder-length hair everywhere, making strange noises while doing so. She danced randomly and very energetically that Jihyo forgets that her teammate's actually on the borderline of being crippled.

At least until Momo accidentally put her whole weight to her left leg. Her knee immediately buckled and she fell in a split position. Jihyo nearly screamed but Momo just spread her arms widely, wearing her happiest expression and shouting "TARAAAA!!!" to Wheein and Jihyo.

Silence for a few seconds.

Momo's panting.

Jihyo was aghast.

Then... Wheein laughs.

A small laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. The smaller girl leaned herself on Jihyo, hugging her own body as she giggled softly.

"You're weird," Wheein said.

Momo stood up with difficulty but once she managed to do so, she bowed deeply and grinned. "Hirau Owow at your service, madam."

"Owow?" Jihyo's beyond confused.

"My other persona. Normal person like you wouldn't understand," Momo stuck her tongue out. She turned to Wheein, sitting beside her and rubbing the girl's arm slowly. "Hey, unnie."

Wheein took a deep breath before she smiled. "Hey."

"How's ya feeling?"

"Better," the keeper sighs. "Better. I guess."

"You better wipe that 'I guess' from you sentence else I'm dancing again."

Wheein chuckled. "Okay, then. I'm.. better. Yeah. Better."

"Good," Momo shot Wheein her most dazzling smile yet. She offers her healthy hand for Wheein to take. "Then let's go home."

Wheein took Momo's hand, pulling herself up alongside Jihyo. The three smiled at each other before taking off. The walk down the mountain is peaceful, even though Momo continues on talking to prevents Wheein's mind to stray to her traumatizing experience. Jihyo walked at the very front, keeping her steps steady so she can guide the other girls down safely.

When they reached the flatlands, a woman is already waiting for them. Her unmistakable dark hazelnut hair swayed in the wind. She waved at the trio, approaching them while tucking her hands into her pockets.

"Heyo girls," Yoona grinned. "Seems like you are tired. Need a lift?"

###

_Yongsun's POV_

 

I coughed when I feel saltwater flooding my lungs. The storm above me is still raging, thunders booming on the dark skies. I tried to swim upwards only to be swallowed by the waves again. I can't use both of my hand because I have to grab on Mina's unconscious body.

I don't remember since when did Mina passed out, but what I remember is that we're stranded in the middle of a thunderstorm. My free hand flapped uselessly, trying to keep both of us floating.

I can't do this.

I can't even swim so why bother?

My grip on Mina's back tightened. I wanted to give up but I don't want to die now. There's still a lot of things that I wanted to do and dying is not one of them.

I gasped when a particularly strong wave crashed my body. Wrong move. Now my lung's drowned in saltwater.

My everything hurt. My muscles' screaming. My throat feels as if it's on fire. My vision's getting blurry as time goes.

The last thing I saw before I completely close my eyes is a pair of golden eyes with slanted slits, greenish brown scales and rows of sharp teeth approaching me.

 

_End of Yongsun's POV_

###

Yongsun opened her eyes to the view of an unfamiliar white ceiling. She groaned, feeling her head pounding painfully. The girl took a deep breath. Relieved when her lungs aren't hurting anymore. She forces herself to sit up and immediately recognized the girl sitting at a bed across her.

"B-Byulyi-sshi?"

Byulyi turned her head, smiling when she realizes that her friend's awake. "Hello, Yongsun-sshi. I thought you won't wake up until tomorrow."

Yongsun exhaled. "Where are we?"

"The castle's infirmary," Byulyi answers calmly. "Apparently you and I are injured in a way so they put us here. I've recovered, though. And Sunny-sshi said that you're actually stable but you need rest. So I wait here."

"Where are," Yongsun paused to test her arms. It doesn't even hurt even though she's certain that her biceps would be ripped by now because of all the swimming. "Hyejin and Wheein? And our sisters?"

"The evil maknae is taking a walk with Yoona-sshi while Sunny-sshi's doing some special healing to Wheein. She doesn't seem to be injured physically but her mind certainly is destroyed," Byulyi explained slowly.

Both then fell into a comfortable silence. A few minutes later, Wheein walked into the infirmary together with Sunny. The former girl grinned, rushing to hug Yongsun tightly. "Unnie! I thought you wouldn't wake up again."

"Did you just implied that I died?" Yongsun scolded her younger friend, but not without a laugh in her voice. "I'm glad you're okay, Wheein-ah."

Wheein nodded happily. She let go of her embrace to turned and hug Byulyi. "You too, Byulyi-sshi! Thank God you're okay."

Byulyi seems to be surprised by the sudden affection. She freezes for a few seconds before opting to run her hand between Wheein's brown tresses. "Yeah, you too, Wheein-sshi."

Sunny's cough pulled their attention to the red-haired woman. She smiled, apologetically then bowed deeply to the three keepers. "Yongsun-sshi, Byulyi-sshi, and Wheein-sshi. I, on behalf of my team, apologize for everything happens today. Please do know that us, the Soshi team, are extremely grateful for your willingness to participate in our young pupil's examination. I've healed every wound you had, mentally or physically. I hope you wouldn't hold any grudge to us or especially, to our younger ones."

The three keepers nodded. Yongsun speaks softly. "You're very welcome, Sunny-sshi. We are aware that our choice to help to raise our sisters is not without risks. We are also grateful that you bother to heal us fully."

"Oh, no, no," Sunny waved her hands. "This is my job. To keep you safe. We can't possibly hurt a human intentionally. Especially in times of the exam."

"We know," Yongsun smiled. "Still, thank you. By the way, where are our sisters? Did they pass the test?"

"You'll know soon," Sunny's eyes twinkled. "They're on their way here. Just prepare yourself. They're a bit hyperactive these days."

As if on cue, the infirmary door cracked open. Dahyun's face peeked inside. Yongsun waved her sister and Dahyun immediately lit up.

"YONGSUN-UNNIE!!!" the hamster slammed the door open, running to jump at her keeper's open arm. Dahyun dived to Yongsun's bed, throwing her arms around the older's waist as she nuzzled her stomach.

Behind Dahyun, the other eight Anihumans plus Hyejin followed closely. Mina teared up at the sight of her keeper, healthy and _breathing_ while Jihyo roared in ecstasy. Both quickly wrapped themselves around Yongsun, shouting about how much they're worried about her.

Yongsun hugs her sister tightly, stealing a glance at the other three keepers and their respective Anihumans. Sana and Chaeyoung are draped on each of Hyejin's shoulder. Jeongyeon had Byulyi and Momo on a headlock, the youngest of the three screaming and clawing her arm while Byulyi's laughing freely. Tzuyu embraces Nayeon and Wheein, covering both smaller girls with her bigger figure.

"Unnie, I.. I thought I failed to save you," Mina said, voice cracking.

Yongsun caresses her sister's black locks lovingly. "No you're not. You fought bravely. And you proved that you succeed because... here I am now. No wounds, no scar, not even a scratch. All because of you."

The younger girl cried, burying her face on the crook of Yongsun's neck. Dahyun tightened her hug around Yongsun's waist while Jihyo seemingly happy enough to grasp her sister's hand.

"By the way, did you girls passed the test?"

Jihyo enthusiastic nod made Yongsun's heart fluttered. "Yes! Yes we pass! Even if Tzuyu and Mina got scolded because they passed out. Hehehe... but we passed, unnie! We passed the test!"

Yongsun laughs, tugging her black haired sister's arm to make Mina face her. "You're scolded?"

Mina pouted. "Hyoyeon-unnie said that I'm the one who's supposed to protect you, not the other way around. She said she found us floating in the water while I'm unconscious and you're holding me."

"Hyoyeon? That Kim Choding?" Yongsun guffawed. "Scolded you?"

"More like she insulted Mina. She even dared to do so while laughing her ass off on the ground," Dahyun smirked, earning a glare from her black haired teammate.

"Oh, shut up, you," Mina pouts even harder.

Yongsun's laughter died down as she pulls her sisters into an embrace. She whispered quietly, "Thank you. For saving me, and for being safe yourself."

Their little hugging festival come into a halt when Sooyoung clapped her hands once. She bowed, telling the keepers and the young Anihumans that it's time for them to go.

"As much as I enjoyed this view," Sooyoung grinned. "I'm sorry to inform you that we have to leave. A human is not allowed to stay at the Anihuman world for more than eight hours, so I have to send you home before the high council comes screaming at our door."

Everyone laughed at Sooyoung's explanation. They all agreed to went home. Sooyoung smiled, pleased, and she clapped her hands a few times to teleport all of them to the human world.

"Well, then," the short-haired woman bowed once. "Congratulations on your first exam. We'll meet again at the next exam. You'll be notified beforehand so you can prepare yourself. Ciao, bella!"

With that, the elder Anihuman disappeared.

Yongsun took a deep breath, feeling relieved to be home again until she faces upward. The full moon's hanging on the pitch black sky.

"Wait, what? How is it night time already?!"

 

_To be continued..._


	13. Refrain

Chapter 13

 

"Sorry for the intrusion..."

"Don't worry, Byulyi-sshi. Please make yourself at home."

Byulyi smiled politely at Yongsun's welcoming tone. The examination taken by their Anihumans unexpectedly took a lot of time, they arrived back at the human world at 11 pm o'clock. There is no more public transport operating at this our, so Hyejin also Byulyi have to spend the night at the Yongsun's and Wheein's house.

Hyejin, of course, chose Wheein's house as her temporary refugee, so Byulyi and her sisters have to sleepover at Yongsun's house. Ever since she stepped into the humble abode, Byulyi had been very uncomfortable. It's her first time spending the night in another person's house and she's nervous.

"Unnie, you're shaking," Jeongyeon pointed out. She poked Byulyi's prominent ribs making the latter shrieked in surprise.

"I'm nervous, okay. What if I do something that made Yongsun-sshi dislikes me?" Byulyi shivered. "I mean, this is her home. I can't be too comfortable."

"Oh, come on, unnie," Jeongyeon rolled her eyes. "We're only spending the night here. It's not like we're going to live here from tomorrow on."

"I know, I know. Just let me be for a while, okay? I'll calm myself down," Byulyi nudged her sister's arm. Jeongyeon shrugged and made a beeline for the kitchen. "Fine, suit yourself."

Being left alone, Byulyi stood dumbly in the middle of the living room. Yongsun had said earlier that she's going to take a bath and by the sounds of water, she's probably doing so now. Jihyo went with Jeongyeon to the kitchen, cooking whatever left for a very late dinner. Dahyun fell asleep the moment she met her pillow, Momo's tending her minor wounds and Mina's nowhere to be seen.

"Byul-ah?"

Said girl whipped her head at the voice's direction, finding Yongsun staring at her curiously. "What are you doing?"

When Byulyi failed to answer right away, Yongsun giggled. "I'll prepare your bed now. Would you like to help?"

"Yeah, sure," Byulyi smiled. "I would love to."

Meanwhile, at the kitchen, Jeongyeon's leaning at the fridge, mindlessly watching Jihyo cooking some omelettes for both of them plus Momo. Their keepers refused to eat (Yongsun's on a night diet and Byulyi simply didn't want to) so Jihyo made five omelettes. One for her, two for Jeongyeon and two for Momo.

"I'm really wondering how the hell is Byulyi-unnie's able to feed the both of you," Jihyo suddenly quipped.

Jeongyeon laughed. "Oh, don't worry. She's rich enough Momo's eating money every day."

Jihyo shook her head, unaware of the vulnerable look in Jeongyeon's eyes. The shorter girl didn't really intend to continue the conversation but Jeongyeon speaks.

"Well, actually Mo and I do some work, you know," the taller girl said softly. This piqued Jihyo's interest, and she shot a questioning look at Jeongyeon.

"You work too? Cool! I'm also working at the restaurant near here! You should visit sometimes," Jihyo chuckled, plating the omelettes and giving one to Jeongyeon. "What do you and Mo do?"

The dog Anihuman grinned. "Some dirty works. You don't want to know."

"Yah, unnie!"

"Hey, did you just 'yah' me?" Jeongyeon put her hand on her chest, feigning hurt. "Is that your way to talk to your elder?"

Jihyo stuck her tongue out. "You're only a few months older than me. You don't have the right of me respecting you."

"Awww, don't be like that, Jihyo-ah," Jeongyeon whined, enveloping herself on Jihyo's smaller figure. "You know you love mee~"

"No I'm not! And get yourself away from me or I'm calling Nayeon-unnie!" Jihyo wriggled free from Jeongyeon's embrace, making way to the dining room with two plates in hand. "Jeong-unnie. Can you call Momo? Tell her the food's done."

"She's talking with Minari. Let them be. She'll rush inside once she smelled the food anyway," Jeongyeon sat on the chair, clapping her hands once as a sign of gratitude. "Thank you for the food. Let's eat."

True to Jeongyeon's words, Momo's currently sitting on the front porch, applying some antiseptics to the snake bites on her left ankle. The snakes before are venomous, but being a raccoon Anihuman, their venom made no effect to her body. Only the penetrating wound was bleeding so Momo has to take care of them before they got infected.

Mina's also at the front porch, helping Momo tending her wounds. They said nothing for the past fifteen minutes or so, Momo too occupied with her injuries while Mina, as usual, is musing silently.

"All done! Thanks, Minari. I'm all patched up, now," Momo grinned, returning the antiseptics to Mina's waiting hand.

The other girl just nodded, unwilling to start the conversation. Between the two of them, Momo has always been the talkative one, the assertive one. Mina rarely initiates anything whenever they're alone and she doesn't plan to start now.

"Hey, Minari," Momo cleared her throat, catching Mina's attention. "Umm, y'know. We've never really talked after the cafe meeting..."

Mina nodded slowly. Momo scratched her nape, feeling awkward all of the sudden. "I've... I've never properly apologized for being... missing for so long and made you sad. Jeong told me everything and–"

"No, Momoring," Mina interjected. She leaned her head on the elder's shoulder. "As you said that day. It wasn't anyone's fault. You should stop blaming yourself too."

"So you finally take my advice to heart," Momo smirked. "Good, because I don't want you to be all gloomy just like what Jeong had said when I died."

Mina giggled, hitting Momo's injured arm playfully. "I was. Not anymore. You've come back to the team so I don't have any more reason to be sad for your 'death'."

"Rightfully so," Momo agrees. She then chuckled while grasping Mina's hand. "You know what? When I learned from Kanan-san that JYP-sunbaenim declared that I'm dead, the first thing I thought about is how you would fare. Knowing you, I bet you slept on my bed on the first few weeks."

Mina sat up straight. "Bold of you to assume that I did that."

"We've studied at the same academy for five years and we've been roommates for three years. By the way you reacted just now I know I hit a bullseye," Momo's amused laughter boomed into the night. "Admit it Minari, you love and missed me so much, don't you?"

The younger girl pouted, crossing her arms on her chest in embarrassment. "I'm not!"

"Yes you are! You cried when we first met on the day the Soshi team fetched us!" by now, Momo's holding her chest tightly in her laughing fit. She feels the dull pain of her incomplete ribs but it's worth it for seeing Mina's adorable pout.

"Stop teasing me," Mina switched strategy, pulling Momo's arm repeatedly like a moody child. "Why are you so insufferable."

"But you love me."

"I'm not!"

The two Anihumans continues their bickering, oblivious to a lone figure approaching them. Another Anihuman, illuminated by the dim street lamp light. Chaeyoung raised her eyebrows when she saw her older teammates yelling and beating each other playfully at Yongsun's front porch. She smirked.

"Mom!"

Momo immediately whipped her head at her voice. "Chaenggie! Did you just called me?"

"I'm talking to Mina-unnie," Chaeyoung deadpanned.

"MOM?!" the raccoon gasped in shock. "You girls have _that_ kind of relationship once I left?!"

She then turned to Mina, hand over her heart. "You cheated on me!"

"That was a joke!" Mina giggled. "Chaeng was injured one time and I treated her. Then she said 'Mina-unnie is so caring like my mother'."

"Turned out Jeongyeon-unnie was there, listening," the cat Anihuman sighed. "And you know how she is. She made it blow up in our group that everybody teased me to call Mina-unnie 'Mom'."

"And you did that?" Momo was very amused.

"Did it a few times because they're so persistent in bullying me," Chaeyoung grinned. "Oh, well. I didn't come here to discuss this. 'Sides I only use that to surprise you."

The raccoon clicked her tongue. "You're such a great dongsaeng I'm torn in kissing or killing you."

"Please don't do both!" Chaeyoung exclaimed while snickering. "Oh, by the way, I was meant to ask. Is Dubu still awake?"

Both older Anihumans shook their head. Mina answers, "She fell asleep just as we arrived. Why?"

"That's a shame," the cat pouted. "Was hoping to talk for a little while. Ah, another thing. Is Jeongyeon-unnie still awake?"

"Yeah, she said she was cooking for–" Momo's eyes widened in realization. "Dinner! Shoot! I forgot! I'm hungry! Be back in a few minutes bye!"

"Momo-unnie! Tell her to switch place with me!!"

"I will!!" Momo's voice faintly echoes. Chaeyoung shook her head fondly. Mina, on the other hand, watching her younger teammate questioningly.

"Switch place with her? What do you mean by that, Chaenggie?" Mina asked softly.

"Oh, that?" Chaeyoung runs her fingers on her hair. "I'm intending to sleep here tonight. There's still a room, right? I'm kinda sick of seeing Sana-unnie snaking on Chewy."

Mina raised her eyebrows.

Silence. Chaeyoung exhaled heavily. "Okay, okay. Nayeon-unnie bothered me. I'm just a bit tired to respond to her so I left."

The older girl smiled sympathetically. "What did she said to you?"

Chaeyoung groaned in exasperation. "You wouldn't want to know."

###

A few minutes ago at the Jung household, Tzuyu was silently sipping on her tea while watching an exhausted Chaeyoung trying to free herself from Nayeon's hold. Sana's sitting beside her, sleepy but equally amused.

"Oh, come on, Chaenggie," Nayeon whined, hugging the younger's arm tightly. "Don't you want to chat with me?"

"No, unnie, please," Chaeyoung wailed, tugging her arm fruitlessly. "I'm tired, let me rest. We can talk a lot tomorrow."

"But I wanted to talk with you tonight," the older Anihuman persisted. "We've been separated for so long, and we rarely talked after we met each other. Don't you miss me?"

"No, I'm not. And I'm totally honest," Chaeyoung grunted.

"Rude," Nayeon put her hands on her hips, finally letting Chaeyoung free. "And here I thought that you were my 'daughter'."

Chaeyoung's forehead wrinkled. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You used to be the 2yeon supremacist back at the academy."

"I've stopped doing _that_ since three years ago–"

"To the point that I've considered you as my own daughter..."

"Unnie–"

"Or should I say..." the hare Anihuman giggled mischievously. Chaeyoung's nape hair rose. "My 'son', Chaeyoung?"

Immediately after she said that, Nayeon laughed hysterically. Sana stared at her eldest unnie in disbelief. Tzuyu choked on her tea. Chaeyoung was not amused.

"That's it. I'm leaving," the second youngest member turned on her heels. "I'm sleeping at Yongsun-unnie's house tonight."

"Noooo Chaenggieee!!" Nayeon wailed but not without laughter in her voice. She let the younger girl go through the front door. Wiping her tears once she heard the door slammed shut.

Sana shook her head. "I couldn't believe you chased her away like that, unnie."

"Oh, let her be," Nayeon slumped to the couch, giggling. "I saw that she's jelly seeing the both of you. She just needs a stronger reason to leave this house so she can sleepover at Yongsun-unnie's house. I gave her that, she should be grateful. Besides, I believe she will ask Jeongyeon to switch places with her. It's a win-win situation."

"She's jealous? I see that she's finally feeling..." Sana sips Tzuyu's tea, earning a glare from the latter but ignored her. "..thirsty."

Sana high-fived Nayeon. Tzuyu banged her head on the table.

"I should have stayed with Mina-unnie or Jihyo-unnie," she mumbled. Sana heard that and the older girl immediately laid herself across Tzuyu's lap, facing upward. She placed her hand on Tzuyu's cheek, stroking her lovingly.

"Awww don't you want to be with me?" the lizard asked with her cutest pleading eyes.

Tzuyu narrowed her eyes. "They're reasonable. Which both of you snakes will never be."

Sana giggled, making Tzuyu rolled her eyes. But the latter never once shy away from Sana's touch or refusing her. Nayeon just chuckled seeing her teammates' antics. She stood up, leaving the two in their own world.

The hare was about to enter the kitchen when she saw Wheein's bedroom door slightly ajar. She peeked inside, smiling as she noticed the two sleeping figures and closed the door. Making sure that Wheein and Hyejin aren't disturbed by her action, Nayeon whispered softly to the door despite the zero chance of her keeper listening to her.

"Good night, unnie. Sleep tight."

###

For a week, nothing in particular happens. After their spontaneous sleepover, all four teams had maintained a constant communication. The keepers would usually talk to each other via the phone while the Anihumans would meet up at times. Sometimes they went to Jihyo's restaurant, sometimes to Sana's cafe or just strolling together around the city.

It was on Thursday that Tiffany suddenly showed up at Jihyo's restaurant. The younger Anihuman immediately tensed up, but the Pegasus simply smiled and told her to continue working.

"I wanted to talk with you, but I'll wait until your shift ends. By the way, what's the best menu here?"

Tiffany ends up eating her lunch at Jihyo's restaurant. While waiting for 2.30, she ordered some random beverages to keep her occupied. She also bought a novel which she read silently, not once sparing a glance to Jihyo. Even without Tiffany's attention, Jihyo's still nervous to the core, questioning the ruler's motives to visit her.

Jihyo approached Tiffany the moment she finished her shift. The ruler smiled, noticing the younger's presence and closed her book.

"Good afternoon, Jihyo-ah."

Jihyo bowed. "Good afternoon, Tiffany-sunbaenim."

"Aw, don't call me that," Tiffany reaches across the table to pat Jihyo's shoulder. "Just call us 'unnie', from now on. We don't really like our dongsaeng calling us 'sunbaenim'. Too formal, don't you think so?"

_Is she testing me?!_

The younger girl laughed awkwardly. "S-Sure.. Tiffany-unnie..."

"There, that sounds so much better," Tiffany smiled, showing Jihyo her beautiful eye smile. "Now, would it be better for us to talk here? Or do you wished to talk at another place? Where no one would recognize us?"

Jihyo ponders for a while. "I think we should go. I know a place that sells great ice cream."

Tiffany clapped her hand excitedly. "Ooh, I love ice cream! Shall we go?"

Jihyo nodded. After Tiffany paid for her bills, the two Anihumans went to the ice cream parlor recommended by Jihyo. Tiffany easily clung to the younger's arm while Jihyo's having trouble breathing.

Once they reached their destination, Tiffany ordered two strawberry ice cream.

"I hope you like strawberry," she said as she sat across Jihyo, serving the younger her own glass.

"I'll eat anything, don't worry," Jihyo exhaled. Trying to calm her nerves. "Umm... Tiffany-unnie, what are you going to talk to me about?"

"Hmm?" Tiffany leered. "Have a guess."

"Is it about the second exam?" Jihyo asked carefully. Her heart skipped a bit when Tiffany gave her a thumb up.

"That was one of the reason. The other is that I want to ask you something," the older Anihuman scooped a bit of her ice cream and ate it thoughtfully. "Say, Jihyo-ah. What would you do if one of your members turned out to be a berserk Anihuman?"

Jihyo stopped in her track, a spoon of ice cream floating in the air. She put it back down, clearing her throat uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, Tiffany-unnie, but may I know the reason of why did you ask me this?"

"Simple," Tiffany licked her spoon clean before staring at Jihyo with a serious expression.

"Because my members and I have observed your group. And we concluded that three members out of nine are having a possibility to grew into a berserk Anihuman."

Jihyo gulped.

This has taken a worse turn than what she'd expected.

 

_To be continued..._


	14. A Necessary Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TIffany is plotting something sinister

Chapter 14

 

"THREE?!"

Her members' shocked reaction was expected by Jihyo. After all, she made the same reaction when Tiffany told her that three members in her group are having the higher chance of turning into a berserk Anihuman. She sighed, further burrowing herself into the couch. The Anihumans are now currently at Yongsun's house.

The oldest keeper is having an overtime today, and she had made herself clear that she won't be home until ten. The Anihumans are having the house to themselves. Knowing that, Jihyo immediately called her members to have a meeting after Tiffany's sudden visit.

"Did Tiffany-sunbaenim told you who?" Nayeon carefully asks. She rests her palm on Jihyo's knee, rubbing her softly.

Jihyo shook her head. "No, she didn't. She just told us to be careful and to keep an eye on each other, for now."

The atmosphere grew tense. Tiffany's vague statement didn't help. How are they supposed to 'keep an eye for each other' if they don't even know who needs to be watched closer than the other?

"I think," Jeongyeon speaks up. "She deliberately didn't tell so we shoulder the same burden, the same awareness. If she told who is who, doesn't that will the suspected ones getting even more stressed? That's not good and in fact, that would only make them more in risk of turning into one."

"I agree with Jeongyeon-unnie," Tzuyu chirped. "After all, those are just speculation, right? Until now, there are no definite symptoms of a berserk Anihuman transformation. Just play it cool. Hope for the best but be prepared for the worst."

The other eight nodded. Sana turned to Jihyo. "Okay, then, that's settled. Anything else she told you, Ji?"

The red-haired girl thinks for a while, recalling and sorting out her conversation with Tiffany a few hours ago. She finally speaks after a while. "Aside from that, she told me that the examination will be held tomorrow afternoon. Sooyoung-unnie will come at 2.30 pm and we're expected to assemble at 3 pm sharp."

"Wow, that's fast," Momo mumbled. "You'd thought they'll give us more time to prepare."

"Yeah, and by the way, 'unnie'? Ji, are you sure you just called Sooyoung-sunbaenim as 'unnie'?" Nayeon inquires.

"Oh, that, too. Tiffany-unnie asked us to call them 'unnie' because they're uncomfortable to be called 'sunbaenim'," Jihyo cocked her head to Mina. "She said that Hyoyeon had said this earlier to Mina. Did she?"

The penguin nodded in confirmation. "Yes. I've called her that for a few times but I don't know whether to expand this to the other sunbaenims. Or to tell you. So if Tiffany-sun... unnie asked us to do so, let's just comply to their request."

"Sure enough," Dahyun slumped to the couch. "Is it all, Jihyo-unnie?"

The bat-girl fell silent for a few moments. "It's... I'm a bit bothered by this, but Tiffany-unnie said that we shouldn't tell our unnie that we're having the exam tomorrow."

Dahyun quirks her eyebrows at that, a gesture followed by the other seven Anihumans. "Why is that?"

Jihyo shook her head. "I don't know. She didn't explain further. That was the last thing she said before she left."

"Strange," Chaeyoung rubbed her chin. "But you made sure that they won't take another part in this exam, right?"

"Well, she said they won't. But just to be prepared, don't expect too much on her words," Jihyo sighed. "Well, I guess. That's all. It's nearly nightfall, you guys should head home and prepare for tomorrow."

After bidding her members goodbye, Jihyo flopped down on her bed in exhaustion. She recalled her meeting with Tiffany earlier. She's still a bit ashamed that she couldn't answer Tiffany's first question even until the ruler left.

_What would you do if one of your members turned out to be a berserk Anihuman?_

Jihyo grunted. She didn't tell her members that Tiffany gave her that question. Aside from the non-existent answer, Jihyo didn't want her members to be stressed. The possibility of becoming a berserk Anihuman is severe enough, they didn't need to think of what would they do if one of them _actually_ turned into one.

"Jihyo?" Mina peeked from the door, frowning when she found her teammate's laying face down on the bed. "You okay?"

"Fine, just overthinking things."

Dahyun copied Mina's action, peeking into their shared room under the penguin's taller frame. "You should stop that. You'll be old faster if you overthink. Like Chewy."

"Don't compare me to that Yoda. She's 50 mentally."

"And you're 45. Not that much different," Dahyun said before flopping beside Jihyo. She laid her arms on top of the older girl, much to Jihyo's dismay. "C'mon. You can tell us. I'll listen while Mina-unnie will think of the way out."

"Yeah, whatever, Dubu," Jihyo rolled her eyes, pulling the younger girl into a headlock. "I'm only thinking about the exam tomorrow. What would our exam be?"

"Well, one thing I know is that they'll evaluate if we're good enough to become an adult Anihuman," Mina said softly, sitting on her single bed near the closet. "What do you think our ranks and forms will be?"

"JIHYO WOULD BE THOMAS!!"

Dahyun's loud exclamation earned her a smack from Jihyo. She didn't mind, though, because the hamster hollered in laughter to the point of nearly falling down from the bed. She only stopped when Jihyo pulled her by the collar and effectively choking her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm just kidding!" the younger girl shrieked, trying to keep Jihyo from straight up murdering her.

Dahyun coughed. "On a more serious note, though. Ji, I think you will be a Special."

"And you," she points to Mina. "Will be a Special too."

Mina tilted her head. "I doubt that. You know I'm actually really weak in our fight training, right?"

"Yeah, but you're smart. That made up for the weakness," Dahyun nodded her head, more to herself than to Mina. "I think at least one of us will be a Common. I mean, even Sunny-sun... Sunny-unnie is a Common, right? Maybe I will be a Common and that will make me special between all the Specials."

"You wished," Jihyo sneered.

The youngest of the three pouted. "It's not wrong to have a wish. You gloomy people should have a wish, too!"

"Do you think any of us will be a Legend?" Mina muses out loud.

Jihyo joined her thinking. "Probably Tzuyu. She's a genius and a very strong Anihuman."

"Or Nayeon-unnie. Behind all those fake maknae facades, she's hella wise," Dahyun proposed. "She'll be that kind of a sage if she's truly a Legend."

Jihyo and Mina agreed silently. A few moments of silence as the three of them fell deep into their own thought. Dahyun's the first to break the tranquility by clearing her throat. "Well, we still won't know for sure, though. Hell, even if Mina-unnie's been a penguin all her life, there's more possibility of you growing up into a giraffe rather than a.. let's say, an emperor penguin?"

"True that," Jihyo nodded. "Let's not speculate else we'll be stressed. You said it yourself Dubu, we'll grow older faster if we overthink. We should rest and be prepared."

Mina smiled. "You guys should sleep earlier, you've been working all day. I'll wait for Yongsun-unnie to come home first."

"Okie dokie, Minari!"

###

The next day, as promised by Tiffany, Sooyoung showed up at the human world at 2.30 o'clock. She idly strolls around the city park, wasting half an hour eating ice creams and other snacks while listening to the sound of nature. The short-haired woman was just enjoying her food when an ensemble of young Anihumans approached her.

"Hi," Sooyoung lifts her head from the food on her lap, greeting her dongsaengs. "I was just about to go to Yongsun-sshi's house. Guess you girls are faster than me, ne?"

Nayeon smiled. "We felt your presence since half an hour ago. It took us fifteen minutes to assemble and another fifteen minutes to pinpoint your location."

Sooyoung whistled. "Fifteen minutes? That's impressive for a juvenile Anihuman! Well, then. Without further ado, you girls ready?"

"We're not allowed to say no, right?" Jeongyeon teased.

The older Anihuman laughed. "Nope! You're not. Okay, let's go!"

In a split second, the scenery of the city park blurred. Just like their first visit, the environment changed into the grand interior of the Soshi team's castle. Sooyoung bowed curtly, grinning and made way to the other six Soshi members standing near the throne.

"Welcome back to our region, young ones."

As usual, Tiffany's sitting gracefully on her throne, eyes alert as she welcomed the younger Anihumans.

"I'm sure Jihyo had told you about today's examination, no?" she asked, smiling warmly. "Have you girls prepare yourself?"

"Yes, we have, unnie," Jihyo bowed. Tiffany's smile grew wider as she noticed Jihyo's way of addressing her.

"Good! Well, before the examination start, I'll explain a few things regarding the second test. According to your faces, you must have at least an idea of what the examination will be, ne?" Tiffany asked again in which the younger girls answered by nodding.

"Perfect! That would mean that I don't have to explain too much," she giggled, hiding her smile behind her arm. "So, I've nudged this topic when I chatted with Jihyo yesterday. Our second examination will be our way as ruler to judge if you're ready to become an adult Anihuman, and in extension, a ruler, or not. This second exam won't be as physically demanding as the last exam, but this exam will certainly test your mental ability."

The ruler leaned herself to the throne. "Being a ruler is not simply by becoming strong enough. You're also needed to be smart, to be wise, and to be reliable to the people around you. Moreover, you need a stable mentality to prevent yourself in acting by emotions. This inner power also helps in preventing yourself to become a berserk Anihuman."

She closes her eyes, exhaling heavily. "Though, regretfully, we've realized that no Anihuman is completely free from the possibility of becoming a berserker. And I've told Jihyo beforehand, which I'm sure she'd relayed to you, that there are three people here that have the higher chance of being a berserker. I've chosen not to tell you the names because everything is simply a 'possibility'. For you to make it or break it is fully up to you."

When Tiffany fell silent, Sunny took a step forward. "The goal of this examination is for the nine of you to prove your mentality to us. The exam itself is really easy. You just need to prove to us if you're able to do a necessary evil to obtain a certain goal."

At Sunny's words, the younger Anihumans were all taken aback.

"Excuse me, may I ask something?" Chaeyoung raised her hand. "A necessary evil?"

"Yeah, a necessary evil," Sunny chuckled. "Oh, wait. I think I chose the most questionable word there are. What I meant, is whether you're brave enough to make a sacrifice in exchange of something greater."

"One example is," Yoona suddenly butted in while grinning. "You wanted to buy a bag you desperately need, but you don't have enough money. So you have to give up your daily snacks to be able to save up and buy the bag. That's such a hard decision, no?"

Seohyun rolled her eyes. "Of course it's hard for you. All you think about is food."

"I'm not a shiksin for nothing, Seobaby," Yoona teased, poking the younger woman playfully. "Oh, no, seriously, that's just an example. This examination just took this whole 'sacrificing things' into a new level."

Hyoyeon snickered. "You sound like a lame ass emcee saying things like that."

"Oh, shut up! I'm just trying to build the suspense here!"

"There's no need to build a 'suspense', Yoong," Tiffany giggled. "It's not like this exam will be hard. You girls hear me? Just make the right decision and you'll pass with flying color. You understand?"

"Yes, unnie," the younger Anihumans all answered in a chorus.

Tiffany clapped her hand. "Perfect! So now, hear me closely. To pass the test, I just need you to do one, easy peasy thing."

Jihyo and friends unconsciously tilted their head in a precise formation. Hyoyeon almost snorted.

"Kill your keepers. And you'll be granted the chance to continue to the next exam."

Silence.

Someone blinked.

A crow cawed in the distance.

"Eh?" Momo's the first to open her mouth. "I'm sorry I think I'm having trouble with my ears. Care to elaborate?"

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Tiffany asks, smiling her not-so-warm-now smile. "Kill your keepers, and you'll pass. Easy, right?"

"NO!" Jihyo shouted. Her eyes staring straight to Tiffany in a challenging manner. "Are you out of your mind? Killing our keepers? Yongsun-unnie?!"

Tiffany nod. "Of course. Who else? I'm not your keeper so you shouldn't kill me," she said while giggling.

"You're crazy if you think we'll do that," Tzuyu spat.

"I'll never hurt Yongsun-unnie, let alone killing her," Dahyun followed, eyes flared in anger.

Mina and Nayeon were silent, but both of them are balling their fists.

"You psychopathic Anihuman," Sana murmured darkly.

"Whaaat??" Tiffany put her hand on her heart. "You hurt me, Sana-ah. I'm not a psychopath."

"What kinda person would kill their keeper unless they're a psycho, huh?!" Jeongyeon exclaimed loudly, teeth bared in a snarl. "You crazy bastards! Not in a million years I would hurt Byulyi-unnie!"

"Oh, really?" Sooyoung smiled cockily. "But this is your only way to pass the test, right, Fany-ah? Don't you want to become a perfect, adult Anihuman, eh, girls?"

"I would rather die than laying a hurting hand on Hyejin-unnie," Chaeyoung growled.

Seohyun raised her eyebrows. "You think so? What about you, Hirai?"

All attention instantly focused on Momo. The raccoon girl was standing still, face blank. She lifts her head stiffly when she heard Seohyun addressing her.

"The transformation to a perfect Anihuman will heal your every wound," Seohyun said calmly. She even dared to send a smile to the girl. "Aren't you're tired of being crippled? Having your freedom robbed away from you because of these scars? Isn't your own life matter more than that human's life? Am I right, Hirai-san?"

When Momo failed to answer right away, Jeongyeon strode to her keeper-mate and pulled her collar roughly. "Hirai Momo I swear to God if you even considering to hurt Byulyi-unnie–"

"You better let me go before I wreck my shit on you."

Momo glowered. Her different colored eyes are cold, devoid of any emotions. Her healthy arm pried Jeongyeon's fist from her collar. She then turned, staring straight at Seohyun. "And you, bitch. So very low of you to address my disability like that. I'm proud to wear these scars. It's a prove that I'm a noble person, unlike any of you who stoop low to mock a person's inadequacy to sate your own twisted desires. I'm leaving. And if any of you think that I would have even half the heart to murder my own sister, cross my heart that you'll be the one I chase down for the rest of my life."

With that, the raccoon turned on her heels and walked away. The other younger Anihumans followed her. Nayeon was the last, as she bowed deeply to the Soshi team.

"If this is what it takes to become a ruler, we as a group have decided that we would rather fail," she spoke quietly. "Thank you for your guidance up until now."

"Why, aren't you're so polite," Tiffany smirked. "Trust me. You'll come back to us. You need your adult status. We'll give you three days to fulfill the job."

Nayeon stood up straight. "Goodbye."

As the nine younger Anihumans disappeared into the gate made by Momo, Tiffany rested her chin on her palm. "Aren't they're so very interesting."

Seohyun stepped closer to her leader, "You think they'll return, unnie?"

"Of course, it's not like we don't go through this test, long time ago," Tiffany licks her lip. "They'll understand that it was –quoting Sunny– a necessary evil."

"And they'll return back to us before they even realize it," Sooyoung chimed in, munching on her snack lazily. "We just have to be patient, and wait."

Hyoyeon grinned. "Yeah, sure."

"Besides, it's not like it would take them long."

 

_To be continued..._


	15. A Sacrifice for The Future

Chapter 15

 

Realization dawned to the girls once they stepped on the human world. They've refused to partake in the second exam. Moreover, they –especially Momo– had disrespected the rulers. It only means one thing. They've failed the test to become a ruler.

"She's not going to kill me, isn't she?" Momo mumbled in horror, the gravity of her action encompassed her. "Oh my God I even called her a bitch."

"She deserved it," Jeongyeon, still boiling in anger, wrapped her arm across Momo's shoulder and pulled her close. "You did the right thing."

"I just hoped that they won't come to our keepers," Jihyo grumbled. "I don't care what would happen to me as long as Yongsun-unnie's okay."

"Agree," Dahyun chimed in. Stomping her feet in anger. "Tch. And here I thought they've finally warmed up to us."

The nine fuming Anihumans sat down. Because they don't have any teleportation power like Sooyoung, the gate Momo made opened back at the city park. The only different is that it's now empty. The night has fallen, after all.

All nine of them are occupied in their own mind. They're mostly thinking about the exam, their unnie, how cruel it was for the Soshi team to told them to kill their keepers, and so on.

Their reverie was cut short by the voice of Sana clearing her throat.

"Umm, girls?"

"What is it, unnie?" Chaeyoung raised her eyebrows.

"We've failed, now, right?" the lizard asked carefully. At her friend's approval, she cast her eyes down.

"So... what... are we going to do?"

###

The walk back to their respective houses was filled with a deafening silence. The only Anihumans left are the ones living with Yongsun and Wheein, due to their house being close with each other. Jihyo, Mina and Dahyun stopped first because Yongsun's house's closer to the big street.

Bidding the three dazed Anihumans goodbye, Tzuyu and Nayeon continued their journey with heavy steps.

"I don't want to go home," Tzuyu suddenly stopped, frowning at the asphalt.

"I don't want to go home, too," Nayeon spoke softly. She touched Tzuyu's wrist, grimaced when the younger Anihuman flinched. "But if we don't, Wheein-unnie will be worried."

Tzuyu's frown deepened. "I.. I don't know what to tell Wheein-unnie."

"Me too..." Nayeon's voice is getting quieter.

"She'll be very disappointed."

The oldest Anihuman has nothing to say by that point. She only stood still, gripping Tzuyu's wrist tiredly. For a few suffocating moments, both girls said nothing. They stayed under the dim lamp lights, reflecting on everything happened today.

It feels as if the world's ending for them.

"We don't..." Nayeon spoke again, tightening her grip on Tzuyu's small wrist. She ponders for a while, searching for a good sentence to try to calm her younger teammate. "We don't have to tell her anything."

Tzuyu looks up, meeting Nayeon's gaze. She has a very vulnerable look in her dark chocolate eyes. "But it won't solve our problem."

"It won't, yes," Nayeon whispered regretfully. "But we can wait. Until we're ready. We don't have to tell Wheein-unnie that–"

"Don't tell Wheein-unnie what?"

A high pitched, sullen voice behind Nayeon made her heart stopped. Tzuyu widened her eyes, stiffly peeking from above Nayeon's head to look at the newcomer. The sight of the brown-haired girl with an inexplicable expression made her nearly broke down right away.

Wheein stood behind Nayeon, covered in a thick jacket and hand gripping her phone.

"Don't tell Wheein-unnie what, Nayeon?" she spoke again, voice deep filled with concern and a tint of disappointment. When Nayeon and Tzuyu refused to meet her eyes, Wheein pocketed her phone and turned on her heels.

"It's night already, and it's cold," the petite keeper said. Both Anihuman cringed at the sharp edge in Wheein's voice.

"Let's go home."

###

Nayeon and Tzuyu still evaded Wheein's searching eyes once they reached home. The keeper sighed in annoyance, rubbing her temples aggressively. She was tired, doing all kind of assignments at the campus and coming back home to find that her sisters' missing.

Nayeon usually left a note at the fridge when they went somewhere. Today, there are none. The lack of presence and notes made Wheein terribly worried. She was just about to go to Yongsun's house to ask for her sisters' whereabouts only to find them standing in the middle of the night, conversing about something she wasn't supposed to know.

"Where have you guys been?" she asked softly, trying to coax her sisters to tell her something, anything. "You know how worried I am when you're nowhere to be seen. You said nothing to me since yesterday and now you went somewhere without noticing me."

Silence.

"What happened, girls?" Wheein groaned. She slumped her body to the couch, closing her eyes tightly. "Is this about the Anihuman stuff? Am I really not that reliable that you wouldn't want to tell me anything?"

Still silence.

"Is this about the test?" Wheein continued. She's getting a bit agitated by her sisters' selective mutism it made her unconsciously clenched her fists. "The second test. When will it be held?"

The keeper's face was dark when she shot a look at her sisters. "Was it today? Is that why you left without prior notice?"

Nayeon squirmed uncomfortably.

Wheein scoffed. Anger threatening to take over her mind. "I've nearly died at the first test and you went to the second one without noticing me. You know I think I at least had the right to know when you'll take the second test."

Tzuyu hung her head low.

"Ugh, fine!" Wheein raised her hands in exasperation. "I give up. Talk to me when you need to. I'm going to sleep."

Nayeon's silent apologize was ignored as Wheein slammed her bedroom door. The brown haired girl ran her hand through her hair. She let out a frustrated groan. She wanted to be angry, but she rarely able to be mad at people without crying her heart out. And the last thing Wheein want is to broke down in front of her sisters.

The brown-haired girl took off her jacket, fishing out her phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, Yongsun-unnie?"

_"Wheeinie!"_

Yongsun's panicked voice made Wheein closed her eyes.

"Unnie, Nabong and Chewy returned home."

_"Yeah! Ji and the others are home too! But they're acting really strange..."_

"They refused to speak with me, unnie. I've talked a lot to them but they remained unmoved."

Wheein could imagine Yongsun nodding her head.

_"Yeah, me too. Mina was crying the whole time and Jihyo was just completely silent. I tried to ask Dahyun but you know what? She shoved me away and ran to her bedroom! She locked the door afterward!"_

"Must have been something to do with the exam," Wheein spoke softly to the phone.

_"I think so, too."_

Wheein sighed. Despite talking via the phone she could feel Yongsun's frustration seeping into her tone.

"Unnie, let's meet up."

_"Now? It's past eight already."_

"Not now. Tomorrow. Hyejin and I have a supplementary class until ten. I'll message her after this. Can you meet us at the campus? I don't really want to go anywhere else."

_"Sure, I'll call Byulyi too."_

"Thanks, unnie."

 _"No problem..."_ Yongsun fell silent for a few seconds before continuing. _"I just hope that they'll be okay. I get sad seeing them down like this, you know?"_

Wheein sighed. "I'm torn between feeling bad and wanting to outright destroy them for keeping this a secret."

_"Don't say that, Wheeinnie. I believe they must have a reason for acting like that."_

"I know. I know. I just think that they could be a bit more cooperating."

_"I agree. Well, it's already late, Wheeinnie. I need to do something with my work. Good night. Let's hope that tomorrow will bring some light to this problem."_

"Yeah," Wheein closed her eyes, heart's warming by Yongsun's optimistic tone. "I hope so, too."

###

Yongsun fulfilled her promise to meet Wheein at the next day, dressed in a peach-colored tee, a pair of jeans and a brown coat. Byulyi followed her silently, hands tucked in her signature black jacket. Both girls were waiting at the campus' cafe when Hyejin and Wheein came flopping beside their chair.

"Good afternoon, girls," Yongsun greet the two college students.

Wheein groaned and Hyejin planted her face on the tabletop. "Bad afternoon, unnie."

"What's the matter?" Byulyi asked softly, rubbing Hyejin's stiff shoulders.

"Our dongsaeng matters," the maknae muttered, more to herself than to anyone else. She lifts her head and slammed the table, ignoring the strange looks given to her by other students roaming the cafe. "Just what the hell is their problem?"

"I told you it must have been the second exam," Wheein growled. "I had a bad feeling that they're failed. But why? What was the second exam anyway? Why didn't they told us?"

"They didn't tell you too?" Byulyi raised her eyebrows. "I thought I'm the only one. Jeongyeon refused to even meet my eyes and Momo walked around my neighborhood mindlessly until very late at night."

"Sana cried to me but didn't tell me anything. Chaeng sulked in her cat form and hissed at me everytime I tried to go near her," Hyejin lamented.

"Mina cried too. Jihyo was silent and Dahyun literally slammed the bedroom door in front of my face then locked it," Yongsun pouted.

"So at least we know that they agreed on not telling us anything," Wheein concluded. "The question remained the same. Why?"

"We should have asked the examiner themselves, really," Byulyi mused, playing with the loose threads of her rundown jacket.

Yongsun slumped into her seat. "At this time, I really wished that we have a way to contact the rulers."

"You call?"

The four keepers whipped their head in surprise when a woman dragged the vacant seat at their table. The green hair is a total giveaway, especially with the way the woman casually sat down and snatched Yongsun's mineral water.

"May I?" Hyoyeon grinned. Her usual, carefree grin that always made the keepers' nerves calmed down. Yongsun nodded in approval and Hyoyeon happily gulped the water down.

"Whoa! Thanks! It's been such a long time since I went to the human world alone and I forgot how exhausting it was to open the gate!" the green-haired woman giggled, resting her chin on her palms. "So... I heard you girls talking about 'the rulers'?"

"YES!"

Hyoyeon nearly falls off her chair when the keepers all yelled at her. Yongsun grasped her hands, clutching them tightly and staring at Hyoyeon intensely. "Please, Hyoyeon-sshi! You have to tell us what happened yesterday!"

"Why?" Hyoyeon tilted her head mischievously. "Your sisters are acting up, I guess?"

"YES!!"

The green-haired ruler sighed, putting her hand on top of her heart to calm it down. It's been the second time in one minute that four people screamed on her face. This line of job is not good for her health. Tiffany should've paid her more.

"Well, truthfully some things did happen, but I can't tell you here," Hyoyeon cleared her throat. "How about you girls come with me? I believe Fany will explain everything better to you than I ever will."

Yongsun doesn't even need to see her friends approval to nods. "Take us to her. You have a lot of explaining to do."

###

"Dahyun!"

Said girl turned her head to the direction of the call. She waved her arms, signaling her friends that she'd seen them. Eight Anihumans who are also the members of her team were running to her. They stopped once they reached the red-streaked hamster standing near the Seoul University entrance.

"You guys felt that?" Dahyun asked quickly, worry etched on her pale face.

"It was Hyoyeon-unnie," Sana clarified. "We all felt that."

"And to think that she showed up here, of all place," Jeongyeon frowned. "Byulyi-unnie and the other keepers were having a gathering. Probably talking about us but who cares anyway."

"I have a very bad feeling about this," Nayeon gnawed on her nails. "Tiffany-unnie said that she will give us three days to complete the job. You know, the second examination, even after we decided that we would rather fail. If Hyoyeon-unnie came here to fetch our unnies, I don't doubt that those wretched Soshis are going to do something bad to them."

"We have to go there," Mina bit her lower lip. "Momoring, you think you can open the gate again?"

Momo rolled her sleeves. "I didn't know that opening the gate is extremely tiring, but I'll try. They sent Hyoyeon-unnie, not Sooyoung-unnie. So there must have been a trace of her gate around here. Give me a few minutes."

The Anihumans all followed Momo into the building complex. Most people ignored them. After all, they're in a common age where humans go into a college. The raccoon sniffed the air at times, trying to find Hyoyeon's leftover aura.

Once they arrived at the cafe, Momo stopped at a particular table. After making sure that no one's paying them any attention, she channeled her power and made a circle shape with both her hands. The small circle immediately widen. She nods at the girls.

"Let's go!"

Jihyo was the first one to step into the gate. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of Momo's excess power bringing her to the other side of the dimension. The red-haired girl only opened her eyes again when her feet came into contact with a solid ground.

She was greeted by the Soshi castle, in all their glory. In the middle of the room were their keepers, seemingly surprised by their appearance. Tiffany and the other Soshi members are also present, standing at the heightened platform that led to the throne.

Sunny smiled at the girls. "Oh, hi! Didn't expect to see you came back in such a short amount of time!"

Jihyo ignored Sunny and went straight to the keepers. She also ignored the pang in her heart in seeing Yongsun's saddened face.

"Unnie–"

"You didn't tell us," the older girl deadpanned. "You didn't tell me."

Jihyo halts. Mina nearly bumped to her back in surprise while Dahyun just approaches her unnies slowly.

"We're sorry–"

"Why?" Yongsun gave her sisters no chance to speak. "Tiffany-sshi had explained everything."

Dahyun was the first one to broke into tears. "U-unnie... w-we're sorry. We didn't... we didn't want you to know that... that we've..."

"Failed?" Hyejin interrupted.

Chaeyoung nodded, gripping her shirt to prevents her tears from falling down. She flinched when she feels Hyejin's hand caressing her head. "You should have told us. We are sisters, no? You can tell me everything. Everything, Chaenggie.."

"B-But–"

"We were also told about the exam," this time, Wheein's the one who speaks up. She stared at her sisters, both of who are stunned. "Why didn't... you girls did it?"

"How could we?!" Tzuyu yelled. Her eyes red. "W-we love you, unnie. We couldn't possibly... possibly..."

The tall maknae's voice is slowly dissipating. "...kill you."

"So you chose us instead of your own future?" Byulyi asked, unsure. The Anihumans all nodded. "We may be.. 'sisters', but at the end of the day, we're actually no one, aren't we? We aren't even blood-related."

"ANIYO, DON'T SAY THAT, UNNIE!!" Jeongyeon exclaimed, throwing her arms around Byulyi to hug her tightly. "You are our everything! We love you! We'll never hurt let alone kill you! Don't say things like that!"

Yongsun sighed. "But if you don't pass the test, you won't be able to become a ruler. You wouldn't even grow into an adult Anihuman."

"Why is unnie so obsessed with this?" Mina asked quietly, already on the verge of crying. "We've accepted our failure. It doesn't matter anymore. For us, unnie worth more than just being an adult and a ruler. We can't... lose you. Not now, not ever."

After she finished her sentence, Mina immediately dived to hug her keeper. She sobs into Yongsun's chest, ignoring the fact that Yongsun took a lot more time to hug her back. Jihyo gripped Yongsun's shirt and Dahyun cried while holding Jihyo's free arm.

"Well, unfortunately," Yuri's emotionless voice cut through the atmosphere. "We can't accept your failure. Your team is the best team to ever come to us in eleven eras, and we had agreed to not let you go."

"No, please, Yuri-unnie!" Nayeon pleads, kneeling at the floor to the dark-skinned ruler. "Please just let us be! We give up! We've failed! Please don't do anything to us, or our keepers! We'll leave! We promised we'll never return here or disturb you again!"

"Denied, Im Nayeon," Yuri shook her head. "You girls are talented, and we've ruled for far too long. This region needs a regeneration."

"No! No, please!"

"Your keepers must die to ensure you pass this exam."

"Over my dead body!" Momo roared, placing herself in front of Hyejin. "You'll never touch Hyejin-unnie until my very last breath!"

Her action was followed by the other Anihumans who put themselves between the keepers and the rulers. All nine of them are glowing in a dull light, colors variating depending on their aura. Their fangs and claws are elongated, ready to fight the rulers despite the massive ability gap.

"Touché," Tiffany laughed. "You think you puny little cubs are able to stand against us?"

Her face darkened after that and the Pegasus lifts her hand. "Think again."

Four white aura balls blasted from Tiffany's stretched palm, moving in a speed of light to the four keepers. The balls hit them on the chest, echoed a sickening crack and sent them flying to the pillars supporting the castle.

"Aah!" Yongsun throws up blood when she collided with the marble pillar. Her eyes are shut closed as her lifeless body fell into the floor with a loud thud.

"UNNIE!!!"

The younger Anihumans immediately rushed to their respective keeper, trying and failing to wake them up. Nine different cries resound on the castle walls. No matter what the young Anihumans do, their sisters are not waking up.

"Oh, well, that's settled, then," Tiffany yawned, catching the attention of the nine grieving Anihumans. "You passed the test. Chukkae!"

"We passed?!" Chaeyoung snarled. "We passed, you said?!!"

Chaeyoung quickly turned on her heels and launched herself to attack Tiffany. But her efforts are useless because the moment she came close to the ruler, Seohyun caught her shirt and threw her to the ground. Chaeyoung gasped when the air inside her lungs left her forcefully, curling when she feels her ribs throbbed painfully.

"Chaenggie, stop..." Sana wailed, clutching Hyejin's cold body against herself. "It's useless.. we can't... w-we can't bring her back.."

Chaeyoung choked. She looks helplessly at Sana. The cat crawled to the brown haired Anihuman, slumping beside her. Chaeyoung gripped Hyejin's hand limply, feeling the cold sensation of her usually warm unnie.

"H-Hyejin-unnie..." the cat sobbed. Wailing softly next to her keeper-mate who is crying a river. Between her own sobs, she could hear Mina's pained gasps, Jeongyeon fruitless calling and Nayeon's despair. "W-why... why would you... do this?"

"Why, you ask?" Sooyoung chuckled. "Why of course because we wanted you to pass. As Yuri said earlier. We need a successor. We can't become a ruler forever."

"B-but... unnie.." Tzuyu chokes, vision blurry with how hard her crying is now. "Wheein-unnie... she doesn't deserve this... she shouldn't... she shouldn't–"

"Eh, it's not like it's a big deal," Yoona shrugged. "Those are just humans, after all. They're just pests compared to us noble Anihumans."

Silence.

Tzuyu saw red.

"How dare you..." the crow growled. She slowly stands, ignoring Nayeon's plea to challenge the rulers. "How dare you to call my unnie as a pest."

The rulers are all silent, waiting for Tzuyu's next move.

"YOU WILL ALL PAY FOR THIS!!!"

But the one jumping into action was not Tzuyu. Mina dashed past the tall girl, arms outstretched in an attempt to land a blow to the rulers. Yoona moved fast, though, catching the raging penguin and slammed her to the floor. Mina cried in pain when her chest collided roughly to the marble floor.

Yoona was just about to lock her arm, but the seasoned Anihuman felt a coming presence and quickly let the penguin go. Momo blinked right after, slashing at empty air in anger. The raccoon helped Mina up, growling to the hazelnut-haired ruler.

Yoona chuckled, putting her hands up in a ready stance. Noticing the beginning of a fight, Jeongyeon, Nayeon, Tzuyu, Jihyo, and Nayeon immediately flocked to Momo and Mina, all in their own fighting stance.

But the fight didn't actually break because Dahyun suddenly screamed.

All the time her friends trying to fight the rulers, Dahyun had stayed silent. She couldn't accept the fact that her sister had died, leaving her without having the chance to apologize after their mini fight. Her chest coiled in a painful way when she remembered how much of an asshole she was to her sister last night.

_I shouldn't have done that to Yongsun-unnie_

_I should have apologized to unnie_

_I should have appreciated her more_

_I should have helped her more_

_I should have said more thank you to unnie_

_I should have..._

_I should have..._

Dahyun gasped, and the coil inside her chest snapped.

"AAHHHHHH!!!!"

The hamster screamed when she feels an extreme sensation covering her whole body. Her skin's on fire, her breathing shallowed and her scleras are bloodshot. Her mind fell into a haze as she didn't realize that her orange aura is leaking, burning her very existence.

"Dubu!"

She also didn't hear Chaeyoung's panicked call. What she knows is that she _has_ to lure her friends to feel the same sensation with her. The hamster curled, whining as if she's in need of immediate comfort. Her darkened eyes caught Chaeyoung's worried ones. Dahyun whined again, further increasing the cat's worry and made her touched the hamster's skin.

"Dubu what's wrong!"

A mistake.

Chaeyoung screamed when Dahyun's orange aura licked her own greenish one, triggering the cat to release her own power and made her writhed in pain. She's never been in this kind of situation before. All her power is oozing out, engulfing her in a green fire similar to Dahyun's orange one.

The next one to have her power released unexpectedly is Sana. The lizard girl was stunned by the two burning Anihumans, didn't realizing that she's crouching far too close to the two thrashing girls. She panicked when a green spark flies from Chaeyoung and touched her arm, but her own aura immediately burst, leaving her in a same haze with her two friends.

"W-what's happening?!" Jihyo exclaimed in horror. The other six Anihumans stood close to each other, too terrified to do anything to their screaming friends.

"It starts."

Tiffany's calm voice caught Jihyo's attention. The bat looks at the ruler, desperately asking for an explanation for her friend's condition.

"What? What has starts?" Jihyo panicked. She was intending to inquire further but she felt the burning sensation on her skin and she screamed.

Jihyo forces her remaining sanity to look at her friends. Aside from Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Sana, the other five are also already shrouded in their own aura. Mina cried, slamming her forehead to the floor while she's burning in a blue fire. Jeongyeon crouched still, holding her head and she's burning in a yellow fire.

Tzuyu yowled as she curled into a magenta ball of fire. Nayeon wheezes beside the maknae, gripping her shirt tightly as she's enveloped in a brown blaze. Momo was seemingly the most pained out of the other. She's thrashing, clawing and biting at everything with a massive white fire engulfed her. There are steam coming out from her body, more specifically from the wounds left from her encounter with the berserk Anihuman.

Jihyo lifts her head, eyes desperately asking for help from the rulers standing not far from her. Her own blazing red fire is threatening to take over her sanity. But before she completely succumbed to madness, she heard Tiffany's satisfied chuckle echoed on the castle.

"It begins. The true second examination of the Silver Moon Region."

The Pegasus smiled, and this time, the smile she wore is a genuinely warm smile.

"Let's see how you will fare, young ones."

 

_To be continued..._


	16. Something Unheard Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The One in The Million

Chapter 16

 

"Let's see how you will fare, young ones."

Tifanny grinned, cracking her neck in preparation. She flexes her arms, channeling her power to form a long whip made of light. The whip glowed in a faint pink glaze, and the nine Anihumans' eyes are immediately drawn to her. Jeongyeon hissed, brows furrowed in aggression.

"Girls, you have to go," Tiffany said softly to her members.

"You sure?" Yuri crossed her arms while leaning on the throne's headrest. "We could help, you know."

"Ah, don't worry," the brown haired Pegasus waved her hand. "I've been doing this alone since the last era. You girls go to the back room. Your presence would only make them even more uncontrollable."

"If you need our help, just yell, okay?" Sunny touches Tiffany's arm. "Good luck. They seem strong."

With that, the six other rulers left the room. Seohyun closed the door quietly when she went past it, careful to not agitate the nine younger Anihumans. Tiffany bit her lips in anticipation once her friends are gone. She flicked her wrist, moving her whip slightly.

" **Heya, girls** ," Tiffany spoke with a voice unlike her own, deep and commanding to the nine girls who are literally on fire. The answer she got is a collective growl and an occasional hiss. " **So let us start the next examination.** "

Momo snarled, colors swirling in her eyes. The girl was on all four with her fingers forming dents on the marble floor.

"As usual, before we start, I'm going to tell you the rules of this exam. This is where we'll start the true exam. You'll have ten minutes. The goal?" Tiffany grinned and she lashed her whip harshly. "You girls have to catch me."

The sudden movement of her whip triggered the younger Anihumans' reaction. Sana jumped from her crouching position, arms outstretched to try and catch the blazing pink whip. Nayeon tailed right behind her. Tiffany chuckled, moving her whip with grace and easily hit Sana's left side with her weapon. The lizard has no time to catch it because the impact of the hit pushed her back, crashing onto the unaware Nayeon.

Both girls fell to the floor. Jeongyeon dodged her friends' bodies and leaped to Tiffany. The Pegasus simply sidesteps to avoid the dog's attack. But Jeongyeon quickly turned her body so that her elongated nails could harm the ruler. Tiffany's free hand flew, catching Jeongyeon's wrist and twists her arm backward, making the younger Anihuman cried in pain.

Jeongyeon's pained cry called two of her friends. Mina runs from behind Tiffany, trying to catch her by surprise while Chaeyoung moved quickly to Tiffany's side. The ruler smiled and she pulled Jeongyeon's arm, along with the dog's whole body and threw her to the house cat. Chaeyoung yelped as she was hit by Jeongyeon's bigger frame.

Tiffany wasted no time to move her whip, flailing it in such a way that it coiled around Mina's ankle and pull her flying upside down. Tiffany lashed her whip, sending the penguin to the direction of the approaching bat.

Jihyo easily caught Mina before the latter hit the floor. Dahyun dashed past her then, orange fire burning hot as she forms six small aura balls around her body. The hamster runs in a zig zag, shooting her aura one by one to Tiffany. The ruler giggled, moving her wrist to block Dahyun's attacks with her whip.

Tiffany was just about to lash her whip to catch Dahyun when another body slammed onto hers. She instinctively let go of her whip to grab her attacker's shoulders. Tiffany smiled when she met Momo's angry eyes. She rolled her body, bringing Momo turning with her and swipes her leg to Momo's defective one.

The ruler uses the momentum of Momo's attack to swing her sideways. Tiffany loosens her grip on Momo's shoulder, knowing full well that her subtle touch to the girl's faulty knee had made her lost all her balance. The raccoon's body nearly flung to the throne only for Tiffany to tighten her grip again and threw Momo to the approaching Dahyun.

Both Anihumans flew to the other side of the room, crashing to Jihyo who was still holding Mina in her arms, knocking the bat down and effectively made all four of them into a mess of tangled limbs. Tiffany picked up her whip, lashing it to Nayeon who was trying to hurl her own aura ball. The ball exploded on contact. The effect was quite strong to the point that Nayeon was sent flying backward.

Tiffany grinned in satisfaction, but she quickly jumped back when a ball of aura exploded near her former position. She lifts her head, whistling when she saw Tzuyu flying with her magenta fire as makeshift wings. The crow snarled, diving to where Tiffany's standing with her arm outstretched.

The ruler grinned, and her right hand blazed in a neon pink fire. She raised her hand to meet Tzuyu's, grabbing the crow's finger to keep her in place. Tzuyu shrieked when Tiffany's aura burn her own magenta one, trying and failing to free herself from Tiffany's grasp.

Tiffany chuckled. "It's hasn't been 10 minutes yet but I think you girls are ready."

She let Tzuyu's hand go then punched her chest hard. The crow hurled far from the impact, again caught by Jihyo easily. Tiffany quirks her eyebrow at this but simply ignored it. She whistled once, long and loud it made the younger Anihumans' stopped at their track.

The ruler smiled, waving her whip left and right to create a rippling motion. The nine younger Anihumans' are all hypnotized, watching the brown haired woman moving gracefully with rapt attention. They didn't realize the small bubbling of soft pink aura at the floor around them.

After a few seconds, Tiffany stops. "Now, let see who you really are."

She clicked her tongue and whipped her weapon once until it let out a cracking sound. The loud sound snapped the Anihumans out of their stupor and they roared in anger. But when they tried to launch themselves to the smiling ruler, chains suddenly shot up from the bubbles of pink aura and bind them to the floor.

Restrained, the nine Anihumans thrashed angrily. They tried to bite or to scratch to no avail. Tiffany clicked her tongue again, and the chains glowed with a blue-pink light that slowly extinguishes their hostages' fire, changing the color of their respective auras with Tiffany's soft pink one.

The ruler sat down at the topmost platform. She played with the tip of her whip, absentmindedly watching her younger companions writhing at the floor.

A high-pitched, helpless cry caught her attention. She smiled when she saw Nayeon's body curled, her restrained hand trying hard to clutch at her own upper arm. The girl's aura is flickering. The dull brown color sharpened into a bright hazel one.

"So you'll be the first. How fitting of the oldest," Tiffany muses. "Tell me who you are, Im Nayeon?"

Nayeon screamed, tears flowing out when her bright hazel aura engulfed her body. Her human body is slowly morphing. Her arms and legs are bent, her neck elongated and a sharp shape jutted out of her scalp. The chains holding her are broken as she stood tall in her newly developed form.

Tiffany was awed when the hazel light surrounding her oldest dongsaeng dissipates. There, replacing Nayeon's body is a soft-brown-pelted deer. Despite her gender as a female, the deer is sporting a pair of sharp antlers colored in a darker brown shade.

"Congratulations, Im Nayeon! Such a beautiful creature!" Tiffany cheered. The deer looks at her. Her kind garnet eyes are shining with gratitude before exhaustion took over and her legs buckled. The deer fell unto the floor, breathing heavily as she followed Tiffany's line of sight.

The ruler's attention is now focused on the living tofu. Dahyun is, surprisingly, silent. In contrast to Nayeon's brightening aura, Dahyun's soft orange one is darkening. The girl grunted when her aura reached a certain shade of orange. She gripped her hair, and Tiffany noticed that the red and orange streaks on the ex-hamster's hair are disappearing, changing her hair into dark brown locks.

The chains restraining Dahyun breaks as her body's morphing into a tall creature, but a small explosion at the other side of the room caught Tiffany's attention. She gripped her whip, ready for anything when she saw that Sana's transformation has completed.

"Omo, you surprised me."

Yes, Sana's transformation is sudden. Her pink aura –similar in color with Tiffany's– was repressed by the chains containing her. The effect is immediate. Her power struggled to be free and it results in the small explosion that changed her body. In her place is a massive snake with a beautiful green-brown pattern on her skin.

A reticulated phyton.

Tiffany squealed. "Sana-ah! Look at your scales! Oh my God, that's probably the prettiest I've ever seen in a snake! Congratulations!"

The ruler turned again at Dahyun, just in time for her to experience Dahyun's transformation. The girl's body moved upward, a strong tail sprouted from her behind. Her feet morph into something long and in a few moments, the dark orange aura vanished to show a red kangaroo.

Dahyun wobbled on her feet, falling to her front but managed to catch herself with her arms. She lifts her head when Tiffany clapped. The thumb up Tiffany gave her made the brown eyed kangaroo smiled.

Tzuyu followed her unnies soon after. The ex-crow thrashed, magenta aura flaring wildly at her back when she struggled to break the chains surrounding her. Once she succeeded, Tzuyu instinctively jumped upwards. Her aura wings folded to embrace her, and she turned into a flash of light blinding everyone when she's still floating in the air.

Tiffany opened her eyes to find a grey-feathered eagle looking straight at her. The eagle's pitch black eyes were tired. She flapped her wings once, twice, and she fell at the third one. Tiffany quickly summoned a bedding with her aura to catch the exhausted eagle.

"A harpy eagle! Seohyun would be thrilled to have an avian partner to fly with!" Tiffany exclaimed happily, noticing the way the eagle's eyes shined brightly.

The ruler turned her attention again, this time to the two Anihumans crouching side by side. Jeongyeon had her face planted on the sleek marble surface while Chaeyoung is having slight tremor inside her own chain cage. The cat's drenched in sweat and tears, fighting a terrible pain in her body as her aura is wildly changing in color.

Tiffany lifts her eyebrow. "Ah.. finally a Special. Thought none of you would grow into one."

As Tiffany finished her sentence, Chaeyoung screamed. Her aura stopped changing in a paler shade of green than her previous aura and her body morphed accordingly. She slammed her arms on the floor, followed by the bending of her legs. Her petite body changed into something big and muscled, with a hunched back and a short tail. Two very long and very thick fangs grew from her muzzle. Her buff figure is fully covered in orange-ish fur.

Once her transformation is complete, Chaeyoung roared.

Her loud voice shook the other Anihumans. She opened her eyes, revealing two green orbs shining with ferocity. One of her front paws stepped forward to balance her body. She turned to look at Tiffany who is wearing a proud smile. Chaeyoung grinned, showing her twin massive fangs and rows of her smaller ones.

"Welcome home, Sabertooth Tiger," Tiffany greeted her with a playful wink.

Chaeyoung opened her jaw wide, smiling happily. She was about to approach Tiffany but the flare beside her made her stop. Jeongyeon was also nearly complete, growing into an animal similar in size and stature with Chaeyoung's sabertooth tiger. But instead of orange, she has dark chocolate colored fur similar to Tiffany's hair.

Jeongyeon finished her transformation by standing to her full height, towering far over Chaeyoung and answered her previous roar. The sabertooth tiger jumped, welcoming the bear who has just managed to open her brilliant red eyes. Jeongyeon smiled, falling to all four and accepted Chaeyoung's excited snuggle easily.

"A Kodiak bear, and a strong one even," Tiffany smiled. "Guess that you're that kind of Anihuman ranked somewhere in between the Rares and the Specials. Congratulations, Yoo Jeongyeon. And you, too, Son Chaeyoung."

Tiffany turned her attention to the last three Anihumans.

"Myoui Mina, Hirai Momo and Park Jihyo," she rubbed her chin in anticipation. "Wonders what yours will be."

Among the three, Mina's the first to succumb into the change. She whimpered, clawing the marble floor hard with her elongated nails. Her transformation followed a similar pattern to Chaeyoung's transformation minus the aura changing part. She bent her body, jaw morphing into a long muzzle and a fluffy tail grew from her behind.

Mina opened her eyes, striking ice blue and her aura disappeared. In her previous position stood a majestic white wolf, head held high even with the apparent exhaustion. Tongue lolling out of her mouth, Mina panted and took a look at Tiffany.

"Hello, little wolf," the Pegasus winked.

Mina yipped once and took a step–

"Shit, wait, Myoui!"

–too late. Mina's forelegs buckled, unused to the way it's supposed to move and she fell.

The problem was not that she fell. The problem lays on who she fell upon.

When Mina's canine body fell on top of her, Momo who was whimpering, wounds healing itself painfully in the process of growing into an adult Anihuman, snapped her eyes open. Her weakening white aura immediately blasted, increasing tenfold in intensity it made her chain breaks prematurely.

Momo howled, eyes wildly searching while both confusion and anger etched on her face. She found Mina in front of her, the wolf laying on her belly, scared to death as she sees the blazing Anihuman towering over her. Momo scoffed, and she ignored Mina because she found a more interesting person.

Jihyo's kneeling, chains also broke because of her overwhelming power triggered by Momo's action. Everyone may think that she's hiding her face behind her arm, but Momo could see the unblinking eye of the ex-bat looking straight at her.

Momo roared.

Jihyo stood tall and roared back.

A challenge.

"FUCK!! MYOUI RUN!!!"

Mina did not need Tiffany to scream at her because the wolf has scurried away from the two angry Anihumans. The moment Mina left, Momo jumped to Jihyo, a movement copied by her challenger quickly. Both clashed in the air in a dance of white and red fire. Being the taller one, Momo succeeded in planting her nails across Jihyo's face, drawing blood from the deep wound on the younger's face. Despite her injury, Jihyo managed to grasp Momo's shoulder and both fell to the floor with Jihyo on top.

The smaller Anihuman was quick to send her fists to the older Anihuman trapped between her legs. Momo received at least five punches before she ripped Jihyo's calf with her claws, making her yelped in pain. Jihyo's halted movement gave Momo an opportunity to flip their position.

Momo pinned Jihyo's wrists over her head. She snarled and dived to the younger's neck, planning to bite the exposed skin. Jihyo didn't relent. She pushed her body forward with her shoulders, meeting Momo's face halfway and headbutted her until her grip loosened. Momo's still dizzy when Jihyo pushed her chest backward and the ex-raccoon tumbled away from Jihyo.

"HYOYEON! SOOYOUNG! SEOHYUN!!! WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!!!!"

Blood trickled down her face, Jihyo panted and stood still in the middle of the room. She's a bit hunched because her calves are also bleeding. Momo paced around on all four, making a wide circle with her movement. The brown haired Anihuman observed her enemy while occasionally snarled.

"Fany what's–HOLY SHIT!"

Momo howled and leaped to Jihyo, but she was slammed sideways by two older Anihumans. The girl roared in anger, thrashing wildly to free herself from Sooyoung's and Hyoyeon's death grip. Jihyo seemed surprised by the two rulers and nearly jumped out of her skin when Seohyun restrained her arms.

But unlike Momo who is fighting tooth and nail, the red-haired girl visibly calmed down in Seohyun's presence.

" **Girl, enough** ," Seohyun whispered in Jihyo's ear.

Jihyo growled but not aggressively. Her red flame gradually getting smaller. A few seconds later, Jihyo closed her eyes. Her aura is slowly getting warmer and warmer, to the point that Seohyun can't withstand it and the ruler let the girl go. Jihyo crouched down, hands gripping the center of her chest tightly.

She sighed, and her warm aura grows bigger. It consumed her body, but continued to grow even when she's not visible anymore. The red flame was moving on its own, forming a shape of a bird made entirely of fire. It steadily changes, shaping three pairs of talons at the end of two long legs. It also shaped the elongated neck, the flurry of feather-like flames and a sharp beak.

Near the beak are two black slits.

It opened at the same time to show the world the most beautiful pair of golden eyes.

Tiffany's jaw dropped.

"Phoenix."

Jihyo –Phoenix Jihyo– turned her massive head when she heard Tiffany's soft call. She made a sound, more of a crow's caw than a bird's chirp, carefully approaching Tiffany with only her face. The ruler smiled and touched the mythical animal's beak, earning a contented rumble deep from Jihyo's throat.

"You're the first challenger in eleven eras to grow into a Legend. Park Jihyo, you really are a one in a million."

Jihyo's eyes wrinkled as if she's smiling.

Unfortunately, the tender moment comes to a halt with Momo's high pitched yowl. She's restrained by both Sooyoung and Hyoyeon, but even with the both of them, it's clear that they are struggling. The younger Anihuman had cried, the steam coming out from her body was still going strong.

"Fany-ah! How much longer do we have to keep her like this?!" Sooyoung yelled. Her arms are starting to feel numb with the sheer force of binding Momo down.

"Can I request a massage after this?" Hyoyeon's complaining also.

Tiffany sighed. "She's still healing. Give her time, she'll come to eventually."

"Eventually?!" Hyoyeon exclaimed in shock. "Okay, I get that she's healing her body. But how come is she this difficult to contain?"

The Pegasus was given no chance to reply because Momo suddenly went limp. Her body had stopped steaming, but in turn, her white aura condensed into a multicolored ball encapsulating her. Hyoyeon and Sooyoung released her and stepped away, waiting for the last transformation to occur.

"The last member. What is she going to be, hmm?" Tiffany grinned, can't help but feel excited at her dongsaeng's new form. The eight 'newborn' adult Anihumans are also curious, watching the ball of swirling color with interest.

They didn't expect the ball of light to explode.

The multicolored explosion bathed the castle's walls with rainbow light.

Tiffany braved the piercing light, squinting her eyes to see the last member's evolution in real time. Momo's crouched body grow big, gigantic even, towering over Jihyo who she thought is going to be the biggest adult Anihuman in the group. Her arms and legs formed limbs similar to Mina's wolf ones.

Her difference with the canine girl was her size, and the fact that there are nine tails swaying lazily from the end of Momo's furred hip.

"I can't believe this," Tiffany mumbled. Her awed expression was similar to her other ruler companion. "Two Legends and one Special in a group? Unheard of!"

As if responding to Tiffany's cry, Momo lifts her head and let out a long howl. Along with her howl, the rainbow light disappeared, finally showing her full feature to the spectators. She was a fox. A gigantic, nine tailed fox. Her fur is mostly white with black paws and tail tip. But when the sunlight touches her fur in a particular angle, everyone could see that it reflected a lot of colors.

Like a rainbow.

Tiffany chuckled, exhaling tiredly when her eyes met Momo's deep purple ones.

"So, how are you feeling?" the ruler smiled. "To finally grow into an adult, the 'Perfect Anihuman'. How does it feel?"

Jihyo cooed. The Phoenix nudged Tiffany's shoulder with her beak. The Pegasus smiled and she caressed the Phoenix's face.

"There are a lot of things I have to explain, but all of us are tired. We've prepared rooms at the castle for your temporary resting place. Sunny will lead you there, and do use the remaining time we have in this day to sleep to your heart content," Tiffany giggled as she pushed Jihyo's face away.

"I'll excuse myself for now. Have a good rest, and... oh, before I forget..."

The brown-haired ruler's eyes are glistening with tears.

"Please know... that I really am proud of the nine of you, young ones."

 

_To be continued..._


	17. A Chance to Rest... or Not?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A news... bad one

"Ugh."

Jihyo groaned as she cracked her eyes open. She blinked, squinting at the high, white ceiling above her. This place was not familiar. Jihyo abruptly sat up, sending an uncomfortable wave of dizziness to her head. She closed her eyes again, trying to lessen the pain when a soft hand caresses her red tresses.

Jihyo turned her head to meet a smiling face of the person she thought she won't meet again.

"Y-Yongsun-unnie?"

Yongsun's smile grew wider. She whispered, full of love and care it nearly made Jihyo cried. "Hey, you."

"I.." Jihyo's voice cracked. "I... am I.. am I dead?"

"No, silly," Yongsun giggled. "You're very much alive and sound, Jihyo-ah."

"B-but.." Jihyo paused, nose scrunching in confusion. "B-but you're here? Does that mean that.. you're alive also?"

"Of course I am!" Yongsun pinched Jihyo's cheek. "Why, you think I'll die that easily?"

Jihyo was appalled. "I saw you died! And Byulyi-unnie! Wheein-unnie and Hyejin-unnie, too! Tiffany-unnie attacked you, right? Isn't it true? Am I dreaming? Or am I high? Unnie you didn't put anything in my food, right?"

Yongsun had to hold her waist, unable to contain her laughter. Jihyo grew even more confused and scared, especially now that Yongsun is nearly rolling on the floor. "Unnie, come on! What's going on here actually?"

"W-We..." the keeper wheezed. "We didn't die, Jihyo-ah. That was an illusion."

Jihyo gasped. "An illusion? But how come we didn't... I should have been able to sense if that was an illusion!"

Yongsun hummed. "I guess... you girls are just too shocked to realize it. I mean, we literally were watching from the ledge at the northern part of the castle wall and none of you seem to know that we were there the whole time."

"YOU WERE THERE?!"

"Yes, we were," the older girl exclaimed with a grin. "That was really one hell of an experience. To watch you fight each other covered in flames..."

"Wait, wait wait," Jihyo put her hands up. "Fight each other?"

"Huh? You didn't remember?"

Jihyo shook her head. "The last thing I remember is that we all lashed out and fought Tiffany-unnie. I'm kinda losing my consciousness but I don't exactly _want_ to do that. And then there are chains and everything blacked out."

Yongsun shrugged. "Oh, well. Guess what Tiffany-sshi said was true. You lost a bit of your memory because you grew to be a Legend..."

"I AM A WHAT?!!"

"Byulyi said the same thing. Momo was dazed for a few minutes since she awoken then freaked out and was hiding herself under the bed."

"WAIT A MINUTE–"

"Oh! Did I mentioned that you and Momo nearly killed each other?"

"HEEEEE?" Jihyo had her jaw hanging open. She's trying hard to fill her blanked brain with the facts Yongsun had said to her. "Wait wait wait what?"

She then points at herself, disbelief clear in her eyes. "Me? A Legend?"

"It's true," Yongsun nodded, feeling a surge of pride at her younger sister. "You're a Legend, Jihyo-ah! A Phoenix! You should have seen yourself because you're so cool!! You're literally made of fire and your eyes are just so bright its... ahhhh!!"

Yongsun squealed while squeezing her cheeks. Exhilarated. Jihyo only watches her sister squealing like a madman dazedly. The younger girl then raised her hands, looking at it doubtfully.

"I'm... a Legend?" Jihyo whispered, clasping her hands together on her chest. "A Legend... me?"

"Jihyo-ah?" the keeper called. Jihyo was so silent it worried Yongsun to no end. Did she say something wrong?

A single tear escaped Jihyo and Yongsun screamed. "JIHYO OH MY GOD ARE YOU OKAY I'M CALLING TIFFANY!"

"No! Unnie, I'm okay!" Jihyo let out a breathless laugh, catching Yongsun's wrist before she could storm out of the room. "I'm just... I'm just surprised..? I guess? I mean.. a Legend. Wow. I could only imagine it.. you know? Like... A LEGEND!"

The young Anihuman inhaled. "It's like.. like a dream come true. To grow and becoming something so... so... I don't know... strong? Special?"

"You mean legendary," Yongsun smiled, caressing Jihyo's knuckle.

"Yeah, that," Jihyo giggled. "I'm so very happy a could cry now."

"You've done that already," Yongsun said with a loving smile on her face. "You've done that and it's enough."

Jihyo nodded enthusiastically. "By the way, unnie. Where are Mina and Dahyun?"

Yongsun shrugged. "I don't know. They've awoken for about an hour now. Probably running off somewhere to get used to their new body. Maybe you should do it too but just not here. Your size is crazy big and you're scorching you'll burn everything here."

"Oh, they grow too? What are they? Are they Legends too?"

Yongsun shook her head. "Nope. Minari's a wolf and Dahyunnie's a kangaroo."

"Ahh..." Jihyo grinned. "Cute. I want to see them."

"Byulyi said earlier to me that she and her sisters will be at the garden behind the castle. Maybe everyone's there also. We should go there in a few minutes if you're feeling better," Yongsun tapped her sister's shoulder lightly.

"Nah, nope!" Jihyo smirked and jumped down from the bed. "I'm feeling fantastic. Let's go now!"

###

The 'garden' Yongsun referred to is actually just a wide field with some patches of flowers scarcely covering the grass. Jihyo and Yongsun descended from the castle hand in hand, slowly taking in the view. Aside from the trees surrounding the field, there is actually nothing else worth to note. Alas, it's a perfect place for 'newborn' adult Anihumans to get used to their new form with running around and play with each other.

Jihyo was immediately drawn to the lumbering beast at the center of the field. A gigantic fox with multicolored fur, laying sideways with its back to her. It has a lot of tails. Most of it is tucked between its legs while one of its tail swayed lazily. Playing with its tail is an array of animals, all jumping excitedly to either dodge the tail or to catch it. Except for the snake. It was just curling on the ground beside the fox with its eyes closed.

Jihyo noticed the kangaroo right before it whipped her head and meet her eyes. The red-furred kangaroo practically beamed at her as it hurriedly runs to her.

"JIHYO-UNNIEEEE!!!"

A voice unmistakably Dahyun made Jihyo laughed merrily. She let Yongsun's hand go to sprints toward the kangaroo with arms wide open. Dahyun's yell had made the other animals turned their attention to the both of them, including the fox who lifts its head excitedly.

Dahyun jumped to Jihyo's arms, ignoring the fact that she's currently bigger than her unnie and is practically smothering her with her strong arms.

"I missed you!!"

Jihyo choked, slapping Dahyun's chest with agony. "Dubu! Dub.. Dubu you're killing me aghk!"

Dahyun released Jihyo with a startled gasp. "Omo! I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

Jihyo pants, waving her hand to calm the panicking kangaroo. "I'm... I'm ok–"

"JIHYO-UNNIEEE!!!"

Only to be tackled to the ground by a bigger animal. Jihyo saw the orange fur and the wide mouth filled with fangs before her vision went blurry. Her head must have knocked to something because she's feeling dizzy. By the way Dahyun's voice sounds distant, Jihyo has a feeling that she's having a minor concussion.

"Chaenggie can't you be a bit gentler! Look at her now!" Dahyun scolded Chaeyoung, pulling the sabertooth tiger away from Jihyo by her ear. Chaeyoung wailed, following Dahyun's movement to reduce the pain.

"But I'm happy she's finally awake!" Chaeyoung protested. The tiger was about to yank herself free but someone bit her neck softly.

"We know you're really excited and are high spirited, Chaeng. But do remember that Jihyo has just barely recovered. Go run some laps again so you'll burn some energy," Jeongyeon told the younger girl firmly.

Chaeyoung pouted but run away nonetheless. Being a Special gave her more strength than her other friends, so she needs to train on how to control it. Jeongyeon sighed, pulling Jihyo up with her foreleg.

"Sorry about that, unnie. Chaeng could be problematic at times," Dahyun bowed at Jihyo who is rubbing her head.

"Since when did you start being polite with me?" Jihyo exclaimed in shock. The kangaroo just tilted her head mischievously and Jihyo rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Still, you girls are certainly..."

Five expectant eyes are focused on Jihyo, waiting for her to continue her sentence.

"Strange."

"I know, right!" the brown deer suddenly jumped in front of Jihyo, swinging her antlers rapidly. "Look at me! I'm a girl but I have antlers! I gotta admit that this made me look cool and will probably be helpful in fights but... why?? Antlers??? Universe you have to answer me!"

Jeongyeon faked a gasp. "Unnie! Is it possible that you're actually a man?"

"Yah! Yoo Jeongyeon!" Nayeon swings her antlers to the bear. It nearly grazes Jeongyeon's brown fur if the bear's not fast enough. "Oh, I see! My antlers are supposed to be my weapon to fight you! Come here you big teddy!"

The Kodiak bear laughs, her voice rumbled deep from her chest. She turned her back on Nayeon before sprinting on her four legs. "Only if you can catch me!"

Nayeon shouts an angry exclamation then followed Jeongyeon running around the field. Chaeyoung saw them and roars happily, trailing the both of them in a game of chase. Dahyun also notices this sudden game and jumped to the fray without any hesitation. Jihyo shook her head, turning her attention to the grey eagle perched on top of the head of a white wolf.

"Let me guess," Jihyo rubbed her chin. "Sana and Mina?"

"Ding dong, you're wrong," the eagle cawed. "It's Tzuyu."

"Oooh!!" Jihyo laughs and taps Tzuyu's head. "You're the only one whose adult form is related to your juvenile form. You're really cool as an eagle! It suits you!"

"Thank you," Tzuyu whispered in a small voice it nearly rivaled Mina's. She's thankful that eagles couldn't blush or she would be as red as a tomato now.

"Awww... Mina you're so pretty too!" Jihyo cooed, playing with Mina's furred cheeks. Mina barked, licking Jihyo's hand and made the red-haired girl giggled. "That tickles!"

Jihyo was just happily playing with Mina when something big blocked the sun from her. She lifts her head, waving to the beast standing before her. Jihyo scanned the fox's appearance, noticing the tuft of greyish fur at the center of its chest. Immediately recognizing its identity, Jihyo grinned.

"Momoring!!"

The fox yipped. "Jihyoooo!!!"

"You're huuuugggggeeeeeeee!!" Jihyo yelled. She measures that Momo is approximately 6 meters tall at her shoulder. Her length is probably more than twice that size, especially with the long tails sprouting from her behind.

Momo barked in laughter. "I knowww! And I want to hug you!"

"Wait."

"Wheeeee!!!" Momo ignores Jihyo as she bends her legs and let herself falling to the ground. She also ignores the fact that Tzuyu had flown away from her station above Mina's head, while the wolf herself was also gone.

"MOMO NO YOU'LL FLATTEN ME!!"

"WHEEEEEE!!!"

"MOMO!"

Jihyo closed her eyes, dreading the inevitable. But when she felt nothing crushes her, she opened her eyes back to feel a pair of arms pulling her into a hug. Jihyo chuckled as Momo buried her nose on top of the younger's head. She grabs the older's back, feeling relieved at the fact that Momo didn't flinch at the pressure on her chest.

"I'm sorry."

Jihyo hummed. "What for?"

"You know I literally tried to rip your throat off," Momo laughs, ruffling Jihyo's hair playfully. "Sorry for that. Won't do it again."

"You're technically mindless that time, don't worry," Jihyo swatted Momo's hand away before smiling mischievously. "But I'll make sure you're properly punished for that!"

Momo blinked in confusion, but her expression quickly changed into amusement as Jihyo transforms herself. Fire licked the older girl's face when the younger turned into a flaming beast. Once she reaches her full height, Jihyo spread her wings and opened her golden eyes.

Her gaze was met by a pair of bright purple eyes half a meter above her head. Momo barked, tails swinging excitedly as she evades Jihyo's wing swipe. She turned her back and run away, followed closely by the newly transformed Phoenix who's testing her flight. Soon after, the two giant beasts are running across the field chasing each other. Between Momo's paws, the six smaller Anihumans also run along and play with the sparks falling from Jihyo's wings or just dodging Momo's frantic footwork.

Meanwhile, sitting at the castle stairs watching their sisters antics fondly is the four keepers. Hyejin is leaning to Wheein who is sitting on the stair higher than hers. While Byulyi sat crosslegged on the topmost stair with Yongsun standing beside her.

"They really are something, aren't they?" Hyejin suddenly spoke. She has a look in her eyes that was stormed with emotion. "I couldn't believe I just met them for about three months and now I've seen their evolution."

"And to think that they're really happy knowing that we live. I'm sorry for being sentimental but no one's ever that grateful of my life before," Wheein adds. She sighed and wrapped her arms around Hyejin's neck, pulling her closer.

"I guess... we lonely people somehow found a home with them, right?" Byulyi chuckled. "I just wish that we'll be able to be together forever."

Before anyone could ask what Byulyi meant by that, soft footsteps resound near them. They turned their head in tandem, finding Tiffany rubbing her eyes and yawning sleepily. She's clad in a blue one-piece ruffled at some place. Her appearance clearly shows her barely-awake state, but she's still flawless as ever with that beautiful eye smile of her.

"Hood mownying."

Yongsun giggled. "Good morning to you too, Tiffany-sshi."

Tiffany waved sluggishly. "I'll take a bath first, okaaay? Please tell your sisters to.. to assemble at the throne room in half an hour. I'll... explain a few things."

Hyejin gave the ruler two thumbs up. "Will do, Tiffany-sshi."

"Thank you," Tiffany yawned again and spared a glance to the Animals. A flash of longing could be seen in her eyes for a few moments, but none of the keepers caught her distraught look. "They're cute."

Yongsun only smiled as she noticed that phyton Sana, who was sleeping (hibernating) through all the ruckus her friends made finally wakes up because Dahyun stepped on her tail.

"Of course. They are our sisters after all."

###

All nine Anihumans plus their keepers and the rulers have gathered in the castle's throne room. The younger Anihumans are sitting on the floor noticing the few damages they made to the room. The keepers were given a sofa by Seohyun, who said ashamedly that the rulers should have treated them better since before. While the rulers (who are actually just Yoona, Seohyun and Yuri) are conversing with each other on the throne platform.

All sixteen of them turned their head at the sound of the door opening. Tiffany walks into the room wearing her signature smile. The Anihumans immediately stands but she raised her hand, gesturing them to just stay at their position. She then sits down at the lowest platform stair, making herself comfortable with her very homely clothes.

Instead of dresses she usually wears during their meeting, Tiffany is now wearing a pink tee and a pair of short shorts. She even goes as far as only wearing sandals. The younger Anihumans are actually quite shaken by their examiner's outfit but decided against confronting her.

"I believe you girls have all understand my intention of gathering you here," Tiffany starts her speech with a knowing smile. "Okay, first of all, I want to say sorry for everything happening today. Your keepers must have told you that was just an illusion, yeah? So, now, what was our purpose of triggering your transformation by 'killing' your keepers?"

The ruler cleared her throat. "As you can see. We were aiming to unlock your full potential by baiting a living being's strongest emotion. It was not rage, nor sadness. It was desperation. One person's desperation was enough. You are a team, after all. You may not realize it, but your feelings are actually shared among your team. If one of you feel sad, the other will notice it too. When you're a juvenile, you won't feel it as much but you'll certainly feel it as an adult Anihuman."

Seohyun took the chance to talk when Tiffany glanced at her. "When in desperation, all your powers will be unlocked because your body feels it's necessary to protect you. That power lays dormant in a juvenile's body until they're triggered with something strong. So we, us Soshi team and your keepers had made a scenario. We 'kill' them, and if at least one of you feel the extreme desperation of being left behind, you're all going to burst with that dormant power of yours."

Yoona shrugged her shoulders. "Turned out you girls are all desperate anyway. So then, well, you know the story. Your powers are unleashed, and Tiffany controlled it. Just so you know, if these powers are released without us. There's a high chance you'll turn into a berserk and kill your own keeper. The other reason is that we have to assess your 'humanity'. A life of another worth more than anything, especially power. We have to make sure that you're not some kind of a psycho that's greedy of power and ignore other's life."

"Anyway," Yuri continues. "These controlled powers are the one that made you an adult Anihuman, not a berserk. Though, it's like what we said earlier. It's up to you whether to break it or to make it. Thank God, all of you had made it. Some.. a bit more peculiar than the others.."

The lioness winked at Momo and Sana, who both hung their head low with embarrassment. Yuri just chuckled and ignored them. "But we are surprised, pleasantly so, when it turned out that you have two Legends in the group. That's so very rare, and it's an asset you have to use to its full potential if you did actually end up being the next ruler. With that being said, congratulations on your second test. You passed, all of you. And now you have an adult form, you'll have a whole new range of powers and abilities you have to discover before we move to the third exam."

Yuri bowed, and the younger Anihumans all bowed back. She grinned, about to dismiss them before Yoona speaks up.

"Oh, one more thing."

Yoona grinned at the younger Anihumans, catching them off-guard. "Remember the long ass speech Tiffany-unnie gave you before the second exam 'starts'?"

Most of the younger Anihumans nodded, some of them just staring at Yoona dumbly. The ruler snickered. "Well, tell you what. Forget it. At least 90% of it is just bullshits made by Tiffany-unnie anyway."

"YOONA!" Tiffany exclaimed loudly. She sounds mad but she's actually laughing her ass off. "Don't expose me!"

"Sorry, but I can't bear to see them so stressed out over nothing!" Yoona stuck her tongue to her leader. "You know I'm always keeping an eye on them and I was wheezing the whole time they talked about the 'three berserker potential'. They are so scared and even if it was cute, they deserved some goddamn rest."

"Me too," Seohyun speaks. She bowed deeply to Momo, cheeks dusted pink. "I think I have offended you. About the.. wounds. I shouldn't have said that. I'm very sorry for hurting your feeling."

Momo yelped. "N-No! No! It's okay, Seohyun-unnie! It was.. necessary! Yeah, a necessary evil! To make us like this, now. I'm the one who should have apologized for calling you a... a bitch.. I'm terribly sorry about that..."

"No. I.. I was the one at fault.."

"It was mine I swear Seohyun-unnie.."

Yoona and Yuri are laughing by now, clutching their stomach while Tiffany just shook her head. "Just.. go marry each other, both of you."

Seohyun smacks Yoona on her arm. "Shut up, unnie."

"Enough, girls," Tiffany giggled, waving her hand to signal her fellow rulers to stop playing around. "They have to go home. It was a tiring day and they deserve rest."

She then turned to the younger Anihumans and their keeper, bowing at them without moving from her position. "You are dismissed. For keepers, I promise you that this is the last time you'll be involved in exams. But do expect our random visits from time to time. And you, young ones. I'll meet you again a week from now, and I expect you to establish an organizational position among yourselves, you understand?"

"Yes, unnie!"

"Good," Tiffany smiled. "Forgive us but Sooyoung is currently unavailable, so I have to make you go through a gate. It's just behind you so you're free to leave. Annyeong, take care and see you later."

"Thank you, unnie. Annyeong."

The younger Anihumans bowed to Tiffany and her fellow rulers. They then moved to their respective keepers, walking together to pass the gate made by Tiffany. After their guests all disappeared, Tiffany groaned and laid herself on the stairs.

"Boy am I beat."

Yuri sighed. She sat beside Tiffany and touches the woman's back. Pale yellow light shone on Yuri's hand, enveloping Tiffany's body. The other woman slowly relaxed. She smiled at Yuri who removes her hand from her friend's back.

"Thanks, Yuri-ah. I need that."

"No problem," Yuri pats Tiffany's shoulder. "You've done a lot of work around here. I only give you a bit of my power to keep you up."

"Well, it's going to be a bit slow from now on," Yoona said, flopping down beside Tiffany. "We have to rest for a while, too. Before the third exam. It's going to be gruesome for us."

"Yeah, right. One week rest before we start to work again, okay, girls?" Tiffany's proposal earned her the agreement of her team. "By the way, Soo and Hyo hadn't returned?"

"Hyoyeon-unnie called me before this. She said that's a village near the southern border is having a small festival and she was invited when she passes by. So she'll probably back by sunset," Seohyun explained.

"Ah, I see. What about Sooyoung then?"

Yuri rolled her eyes. "Oh, you know how she is when she visits the RV region. She's so whipped for Yeri sometimes I think she's going to adopt that kid."

"In her defense," Yoona giggled. "I wouldn't mind having a new maknae."

Seohyun pouts. "Unnie, why are you so evil to me these days."

The older woman laughs and puts her arm around Seohyun's shoulder. "Just having fun, I guess? I dunno but I'm really in the mood of doing crazy things in the past few weeks."

"No, Yoona. Don't do that," Tiffany said as she shot the younger woman a disapproving look.

"I'm just kidding," Yoona grinned. "Ah, and, unnie. I was actually about to ask. The 'berserker potential' you said.. Seo told me it wasn't a complete lie?"

Tiffany shook her head. "No. It wasn't. But the truth is there's only one member of the group who is having the potential. And by how she transformed, I was not happy. She still has that probability so we have to keep a close eye on her."

"Who is it? I can't really detect because, you know. Power limitation?"

"I was going to tell you anyway. It's... hold on," Tiffany paused and squints her eye at the opening door. "Oh, Sunny-unnie! You're back!"

The four women's attention immediately shifts to the redhead stomping toward them. Tiffany raised her eyebrow when she notices Sunny's troubled expression. The woman stopped in front of the platform. She bit her lower lip in hesitation and it made Tiffany's curiosity grows.

"Sunny-ah? Is something wrong? You received a call so early in the morning and now you're like this. Tell us what happened," Tiffany asks, grasping Sunny's hand in a comforting manner.

"Who called?" Yuri inquires.

After a few moments of silence, Sunny finally speaks.

"It was the high council. IU called."

"Why?" Yoona leans closer. "It's been a long time since anyone from the high council contacts us."

"I have two news, and I'm going to tell from the least surprising one," Sunny took a deep breath. "IU screamed at me for ten minutes straight for violating the time limit of a human's visit to this world. They knew we kept Yongsun and the others here for nearly a day, and the council's not happy. I've talked to them about the exam and they seemed to accept it, but we're banned to invite them to the castle for a month."

Yuri shrugged. "Okay, no big deal. We'll just cross to the other side ourselves."

"What about the other news, Sunny-ah?" Tiffany asks again.

"It's.. it's really is going to be hard and even I went speechless when I was on the phone so prepare yourself, but..." Sunny gulped. She looks straight at her friend's chocolate orbs, noticing the anticipation and slight fear of what the news' going to be.

"They.. the council... IU said it herself so I believe in her with my whole heart..."

Tiffany's grip tightened. She tried to give Sunny a support but she knew, deep down, she's the one who actually needs support to receive this news.

"Kim Taeyeon has been found."

 

_To be continued..._


	18. Our Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The birth of Twice

Chapter 18

 

"Minari, look at me! Look at me!"

Mina tears her attention from her novel to see Momo prancing around the living room. All nine of them are now currently lazing around in Wheein's house, as the owner said that she's having a sleepover at Hyejin's to work on some assignments. The now-adult-Anihumans are also wanted to have a sleepover, so Nayeon and Tzuyu begged Wheein to let them take over the house for the night.

Ever since Momo and Jeongyeon came from their work, the vixen has been running around the house giddily. She's on cloud nine, finally having her whole body works like how it's supposed to be. Momo giggled after Mina put her whole attention to the vixen. She then proceeds to do three cartwheels, nearly knocking herself on Chaeyoung who was idly eating her cereals.

Mina smiled. "I'm glad you're back to your prime, but please be careful."

"I will! I'm just trying to make the most of it now!" the vixen exclaimed while sitting down beside Mina on the couch. She was just doing that for a second before she jumps up and facing the wolf. "Do you know that I lost my scars, too, Minari?"

Momo then lifts her shirt all the way below her chest, showing her now scarless stomach and, together with it, her perfectly defined abdominal muscles.

"See? I'm pretty, now!"

Mina faints.

Somewhere in the background, Chaeyoung dropped her cereals.

###

It was nearly midnight when Jihyo called them all to Nayeon and Tzuyu's bedroom. Despite the late hour, none of the girls are actually feeling tired, so Jihyo decided that they should do something more productive than just lazing around.

Dahyun whined. "Unnie why the hell are you making us having a meeting in the middle of the night?"

"Because none of us are sleepy yet," Jihyo cleared her throat. "Besides, it's been five days since the second exam. Fany-unnie is going to visit us at the end of the week so we should talk about the thing she asked us."

Sana tilted her head innocently. "What thing?"

"The organizational position?" Tzuyu asked. Jihyo nodded in agreement.

Chaeyoung scrunched her nose. "What? I thought we have that established already."

"No? We haven't? Because I'm sure we've never talked about this team's leader, and so on," Jihyo said as she collapsed to the bed. Jeongyeon who is already curling on the bed groaned in protest when the bed creaks.

"You kidding?" Nayeon scoffed. "I thought we all have come to the understanding that you are our leader."

Silence.

Jihyo coughed. "Sorry what?"

"It's true," Jeongyeon nodded sagely. "We've all having a silent agreement that you're our leader since like... day one."

"But, why?" Jihyo cocked her head, confused.

"You're nice," Mina blurted.

"Whatever you're doing, you do it for the team," Momo adds.

"You're really smart! You know how to make us into sub-teams and you plan things thoroughly!" Sana exclaimed happily.

"Jihyo-unnie is the sanest person in this group," Dahyun giggled.

"I think what Dubu meant is that you're always keeping a cool head in any situation, unnie," Chaeyoung sighed.

"You're patient, Jihyo-unnie. I think the only one not once feeling fed up with this team is you," Tzuyu smiled.

"You've always been the one standing strong for us when we're in trouble. If that's not leadership I don't know what that is," Jeongyeon said matter of factly.

"No one in this team is capable of bringing the group together like how you do, Ji. That's why we choose you as our leader," Nayeon concluded.

By the end of their speech, Jihyo was stunned. She'd never thought that her friends regarded her so highly. She takes a look at her friends, all wearing their genuine smile. Jihyo felt a warm feeling in her chest. She chuckled, trying to hide the blush forming on her cheek.

"You girls are the worst," she said, but the team just grinned at her. "Okay, fine. Besides it's not like you'll accept a 'no' as an answer, right?"

"NEEE!!"

"Now that it's settled," Nayeon clapped her hands, bringing the team's attention back. "We need to establish the other position, too. I think it would be better if we follow the Soshi team's role."

"Mm... I don't think it's going to work for us," Jeongyeon mumbled. "I mean... Soshi team has only seven members but there are nine of us. Maybe we could follow some but we have to made other roles too. And we don't have any teleportation power so Sooyoung-unnie's role is a big no."

"Jeongyeon-unnie's right. But at least we could assign the more obvious roles first," Tzuyu strokes her chin. "I think... a region defender like Hyoyeon-unnie... then the ambassador, advisor.. then whatever that is Yuri-unnie doing... what else?"

"We need a vice leader. In case anything happened to the region while Jihyo-unnie's gone," Chaeyoung proposed. "Then... hmm... maybe someone that will stay at the castle despite everything?"

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, like.. you know. In case there are a lot of issues to solve, someone has to stay and watch the castle. But, not just watching the castle. The one doing this also has to be able to solve minor issues happening in the region when most of us are unavailable," Chaeyoung explained despite her apparent confusion.

"Okay I get it. I also know the person perfectly made for that," Jihyo smirked and leered at someone. "Mi~na~ri~"

The wolf squints her eyes. Jihyo snorted. "Oh, come on! That's the most suitable job for you! Aside from your knowledge and skills, you're also don't really fond of going out frequently, right?"

"I can help you, Minari!!" Sana threw her arms around the younger girl. "Can I? Can I?"

Mina pouts but nodded anyway. Sana squealed while Jihyo grinned widely, patting Mina's shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll help from time to time. Now, next. Who will become the vice leader?"

"You should choose it yourself, Jihyo," Jeongyeon slapped Jihyo's arm softly. "Someone you deemed worthy to stand beside you. The same with your advisors."

"Then I choose you," Jihyo grasped Jeongyeon's left hand. "My bro."

Jeongyeon put her right hand above Jihyo's. "Bro."

"Disgusting," Nayeon grimaced. "You better stop with these 'bro' words or am I going to–"

Nayeon was given no time to finish her sentence because Jihyo points at her. "And you'll be my advisor with Tzuyu."

"Eh?" Tzuyu blinked. "I understand Nayeon-unnie. But me?"

Jihyo waved her hand. "You're at the right side of my sanity spectrum in this group. You're also the one who helps me a lot with making strategies. So I choose you. You okay with that?"

"Well, if it's for the best," Tzuyu shrugged nonchalantly, but everyone in the room could see the faint blush on her cheek.

Dahyun and Momo snickered. "Tsundere."

Tzuyu scowled.

"Okay, next! Ambassador! Any volunteer?" asks Jihyo as she waved her hands to refocus the group's attention.

"I think Dubu suits the job," Sana said. She threw a wink at Dahyun who shot her a surprised look. "You're really friendly! No doubt everyone would like to be our associate if you're the one reaching out to them!"

"I agree!" Chaeyoung slapped Dahyun's back playfully. "And I would love to become the one managing internal issues, like Yuri-unnie! How's that?"

"Personally, I'm okay with that," Jihyo nodded. "Dahyunnie, you're cool?"

Dahyun saluted. "Anything for you boss. Then.. if I'm the ambassador, Momo-unnie would be the defender, am I right?"

Said girl blinked innocently. "Momo? Momo who? I don't know her. Haven't seen Momo for quite a long time."

Nayeon smacked the younger's head. "Quit it, Hirai. You're the only member who hasn't been appointed yet. Also, you're the second Legend in the team and it's only logical if we put the strongest member to become a defender."

Momo sulked and whispered a silent, "Okay."

"Great!" Jihyo clapped her hands. "So... now, the last question. What should we call our team?"

Everyone fell silent after that to think. After a few seconds, Nayeon giggled. "How about.. Once?"

Tzuyu whipped her head and glared at the older girl. "Isn't that the name of the girl group you've been stanning since we arrived here?"

"You're right!" Nayeon hollered in laughter. "You know me so well, Tzuyu-ah!"

"Those girls are trash."

"How dare you said that to Once! Fight me, Chou Tzuyu!! FIGHT ME!!"

"Who is Once?" Dahyun hummed. "Chaenggie, you know them?"

Chaeyoung nodded. "I think I've heard Hyejin-unnie sang some of their songs back home. I don't really follow them aside from the songs Hyejin-unnie sang, though."

"These girls are cute," Momo said, already using Wheein's laptop illegally. "I'm gonna stan them from now on."

"Oohh! I knew them!" Sana adds, leaning against Momo to look at Wheein's laptop. Mina and Jeongyeon followed her to peek at the screen. "Their songs are the best! And they're also really pretty! I think, if we're not Anihumans, we can easily pass as them! See, there are nine of them! Just like us!"

Jeongyeon chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn't mind falling into idol hell with them."

"Guys, seriously?" Tzuyu sighed tiredly. "We can't just name our team using another group's name! Especially _that_ idol group."

Nayeon sneered. "Said the girl screaming their songs on top of her lungs whenever she's bathing."

The eagle glared at the deer. "Fuck you."

"You're gorgeous but not my taste! Sorry!" Nayeon winked before laughing out loud.

"On a more serious note, though," Jihyo remarked in a loud voice, stopping the group's argument. "Tzuyu's right. We can't just name our team with the same name. But if you girls like it, maybe we could tweak it a bit."

"How about Twice?" Chaeyoung suggests. "I mean... Once? Twice? Or do you want Thrice?"

"Force."

"That's not a word, Dubu."

"It is a word!" Dahyun pouts. "Just not in the same category."

"You're lucky I love you else you'll be dead by now."

"Girls, focus," Jihyo wailed. She glanced at the clock to see that it's already half past midnight. "We should wrap this up fast and go to sleep. I'm tired."

"You're the one calling a meeting in the middle of the night," Jeongyeon shook her head. "Well, then. Do you girls agree with Twice? I personally agree because it sounds really cute in my ears."

Jeongyeon question earned her a collective, "Yes!" from most of her friends. Tzuyu rolled her eyes while Jihyo only giggled. "Alrighty then! From now on, we're team Twice! Our leader's Jihyo, I'm the vice leader with Nayeon-unnie and Chewy as advisors. Dahyunnie would be the ambassador, Chaeyoung as internal relations, Momo as the region defender while Mina and Sana..."

Jeongyeon hesitates. "What name would your role called by?"

Dahyun snickered.

"Housewives."

Sana launched herself to strangle her fellow teammate.

###

It's 2 o'clock in the night, but Jihyo can't sleep. She'd been the one crashed on the bed first when they finished the meeting, but no matter what she did, sleep never comes to her. Momo had immediately gone to the dream world the moment her head met the bed. Chaeyoung curled herself beside Momo, both unmoving when Mina draped a blanket across both girls.

Dahyun can't find herself a comfortable place in the bedroom and ends up sprawled at the couch. Jihyo had heard Tzuyu and Nayeon fought about something in the kitchen, while Jeongyeon happily watching the drama unfolded before her eyes. They were fighting for a good fifteen minutes until Sana whined and pulled Tzuyu to cuddle with her.

It hasn't even been a day but she's starting to question herself for choosing the three as her most influential sidekicks.

Jihyo exits the house to take a breather. She sat at the porch, mindlessly watching the shrubbery of roses in front of Wheein's house. One thing she noticed about their keepers is that they (with the exception of Byulyi) love plants. Chaeyoung once said that Hyejin kept a lot of cacti and some bonsais while Yongsun herself has a bunch of lilies at her back garden and some other flowers given by Hyejin.

The Phoenix had the guts to pick one of Wheein's flower. She's admiring the faded red color, unlike the other roses in the bush that's blood red in color. Jihyo was just swirling the flower in her hand when a soft voice startled her.

"It's pretty, don't you think so?"

The surprise made her instinctively gripped the stalk and she hissed at the feeling of the rose's thorns pricking her skin.

"Omo, I'm sorry, Jihyo-ah! I thought you've sen me!"

Jihyo was stunned at the view before her. Sunny is kneeling in front of her, inspecting her bleeding palm seriously. Sunny blew the younger's palm, sending her healing turquoise aura and closing the wounds in a matter of seconds. The red-haired ruler then lifts her head to smile at the younger girl.

"Good evening, Jihyo-ah. Or should I say.. good morning?" Sunny giggled. She moved to sit beside Jihyo.

Only when Sunny had sit did Jihyo realized something. "Eh? Unnie? What are you doing here?"

Sunny shrugged. "I just wanted to take a walk at the human world. Turns out you're awake so I decided to come by."

Jihyo raised her eyebrow at that. "Visiting the human world? At this time of the day?"

"The silence calmed me down," Sunny said nonchalantly.

The Phoenix hummed. The sensation of being alone in the middle of the night _is_ addicting. Sometimes, Jihyo would feel as if she's in a distorted dimension by watching the serene darkness. She joined Sunny in appreciating the tranquility, taking a glance to the ruler beside her once in a while.

Jihyo only notices this the tenth time she glanced at Sunny, but there's a flurry of emotions inside her dark brown orbs.

"Unnie?" Jihyo called, making Sunny snapped from her reverie and stared at the younger girl. "Is everything okay?"

Sunny laughs a breathless laugh. "Ah... am I really that obvious?"

"Unnie?" Jihyo grasped Sunny's hand. Thankfully the latter didn't shy away.

"It's just.." Sunny sighed, closing her eyes to prevents the tears from falling down. "There's so much going on in the Ani-world since the second exam, Jihyo-ah. We're having some trouble with the high council and Tiffany's not getting enough sleep and nutrition intake. I've tried to persuade her to eat but she snapped and I... I yelled back at her. I shouldn't do that. I should have been the one helping her, not turning against her. I was going to apologize but everything just went downhill and she hasn't returned to the castle since yesterday."

Jihyo nodded, rubbing the elder's hand. She knows nothing about their problem and she doesn't think she'll have the right words to comfort Sunny. So she holds the ruler's hand tight, letting her know that she'll be here to listen.

"I'm... I'm sorry I'm telling you this. Haha, you're supposed to just focus on the exam, okay, don't think about this. We'll be fine. I'm just a little down," Sunny laughs as she wiped her tears. "Thank you for listening, Jihyo-ah. I just need to talk to someone about this."

Jihyo smiled. "You're welcome, unnie. You know you can talk to us if anything."

Sunny giggled. She was about to answer but a flare of blue caught their attention. Standing at the road in front of Wheein house is a woman unfamiliar to Jihyo. She has long, bangless black hair reaching her chest. Her dark eyes are cold, but there's kindness in it that made Jihyo feels safe. The woman is wearing a white shirt covered by a red coat and a pair of jeans. Her boots made soft clicking sounds as she approaches the two red-haired female.

Sunny wiped the remaining of her tears and stood up.

"Sunny," the unknown woman addressed. Her voice is deep, sweet and rich with character.

Jihyo was immediately drawn to the woman, as if she wanted to submit to the woman for the rest of her life. The unknown woman radiates a powerful and authoritative aura that dwarfed even Tiffany's. The young Anihuman can barely breath when Sunny bowed.

"IU," the red-haired ruler whispered.

 _'So that's her name,'_ Jihyo mused. _'IU. Where have I heard that?'_

IU nodded curtly. She grabbed Sunny's wrist and Jihyo caught a tint of panic in her onyx orbs. "You are needed at the castle. Tiffany collapsed. I've already told her to leave the tracking to Ailee but she's too stubborn to listen."

Sunny's expression immediately harden. "I'll go with you. Jihyo-ah..."

Jihyo stuttered when Sunny called her. "Y-Yes?"

The ruler smiled and pats her hair. Jihyo could feel the slight tremor on her hand.

"I'll see you later. Don't mind this, just focus on your exam, okay? We'll meet again two days from now, as promised. Take care, Jihyo-ah."

With that, Sunny and that woman called IU disappeared into thin air. Jihyo gawked at their former position for a good few seconds after their departure. She scratches her head, noticing the leftover shining blue sparks of IU's aura at the grass before her.

"What kinda hell was that about?"

 

_To be continued..._


	19. Chasing The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SM Region holds a secret

Chapter 19

 

_ Yongsun's POV _

 

I couldn't believe this.

I couldn't believe me.

"Oh, come on, Yongsun-unnie! You've been missing out on us since weeks ago! You have to come out and play!"

I shot an incredulous look to my work colleague, Jeon Somi. Or, crazy woman #1 according to me. She's number one because currently, there are two other crazy women currently dragging me to a nightclub. Somi, Yoojung, and Doyeon. The three musketeers. These three are my younger work colleagues who somehow grew a liking to me and dubbing me as their 'Workplace Unnie' instead of 'sunbaenim'.

So many people love to call me unnie. Am I that unnie-able?

"Please, unnie. It's been such a loooong time since we last hanging out together. Don't you miss us?" Yoojung whined, arms looping around my own while shooting me a pleading look. "Why are you so obsessed with coming home on time anyway? You've never done that before.. like... two months ago?"

I sigh. "There are a lot of shady people around my neighborhood these days. Can't really brush off the fear of criminal activity Yoojung-ah."

Not 100% lie. I'm not actually afraid of the nine Anihumans and their other three keepers hanging around my house lately, but you gotta admit that Sana and Hyejin are shady AF. Like who the fuck whispers, "Ohyo ohyo ohyo ohyo," while knocking on someone's door, for god sake?

I feel bad for Chaeyoung. She must have had some traumatic experiences living with those devil incarnates.

"Just for tonight, unnie! Please?" Doyeon moves to attack. "Trust me– no! Pray with me that everything's going to be okay!"

I rolled my eyes at that. These girls didn't know about my whole Anihumans thingy. I'm not allowed to tell them, after all. But seriously, I've been losing my faith to Mina as the Voice of ReasonTM inside my house ever since they grew into adult Anihumans. The second night we returned home, she suddenly escaped my house on full wolf form, howling and running around the neighborhood saying, "The moon call for me."

I was terrified if my neighbor saw that but thankfully no one protests. Except for Dahyun because she legit kicked Mina on the head until she passed out.

But they're right.. it's been long since I hang out with them. I can't deny that I actually do miss them.

"Alright fine. Where are you guys going anyway?" I asked and they answer me with cheers.

"There's this new club downtown," Somi speaks but cuts herself. "Actually it's not new. But there's this new hot bartender–"

"Girl bartender," Yoojung quipped.

"–who make perfect drinks and I really want to check this club out. You in, unnie?"

"Sure. But only if you buy me a drink."

"YES! OF CROSS!"

"It's 'of course', dumb dumb."

###

Out of all the people I could meet in a nightclub, it _has_ to be her. My fellow keeper. With her shining silver hair and shining dark eyes and shinier smiles.

Moon Byulyi.

And to think that she's the one standing behind the bar.

I squint my eyes. "Byul-ah?"

She raised her eyebrow. "Yongsun-sshi?"

Doyeon whispers to me. "Unnie you know her?"

It must have been the most awkward encounter I ever had in my life. Byulyi shot me a smirk, snapping me out of my stunned state. She then winked at the four of us, turning back to her shelf of liquors.

"Anything I could get you girls?" she asks with her usual deep voice. I could almost feel Somi melts beside me.

"Give us the best!" Yoojung cheered. Byulyi nodded still with her full on smirk, offering us to take a seat and moves between the shelf to make whatever concoction it is the best here. I sit at the leftmost stool, taking in Byulyi's appearance silently.

She actually looks pretty, with the black and white bartender suit. She wears her hair in a high ponytail, showing her nape and her usually concealed ears. I just noticed that Byulyi uses a round earring on her left ear.

"One special glass for my fellow," I was so lost in staring that I didn't notice Byulyi already handing me my drink. She winked, whispering lowly so that my other friends can't hear. "Keeper."

She grinned at me so I whisper back. "Keep it down before Tiffany scold us."

She laughed after she heard that and walked back to her station. I giggled, not noticing my friends who are looking at me. Only when I sip my drink did I noticed that they're all gaping their mouth at me.

"What?"

"What the fuck, unnie," Doyeon exclaimed, placing her hand above her heart. "Did you just flirted with her?"

I choked. "No! She's a friend!"

"You sure?" Somi wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. I glared at her. "Yes, I'm sure. Try to ask her and she'll answer the same."

"Aww," Yoojung shook her head in disappointment. "I was just starting to ship you."

"EXCUSE ME?"

Doyeon tapped Yoojung's shoulder. "I know your feeling. They'll look good together."

"AIN'T NOBODY LISTENING TO ME?!"

"Hmm, whatever," Somi downed her drink in one go. "If the bartender's taken. Imma go to the dance floor. Any of you want to go to?"

"Me me!" Yoojung drank her drink hastily then jumped from her stool, following Somi. Doyeon just shook her head, sipping her drink calmly until it's empty. That girl said nothing before she went to the dance floor, probably finding Yoojung and Somi. She's always been the most responsible out of the three so I let her wander the room.

I was just playing with my straw, mesmerized by the way the colors in my drink moves when Byulyi sat across me. I smiled at her who smiled back. She starts, "Rough night, eh?"

I hummed. "Not really. They were just bored so they asked me to come with them here."

She chuckled, playing with a golden coin between her fingers. "I'd never thought you'll end up here."

"Yeah," I sip my drink. "So.. this is your line of work? If only I knew earlier, I'll come by more often. You make perfect drinks."

"Why thank you," she laughs softly. "Though, no. It was just recently that I got this job. The old bartender moved out of town and he said he loves my works, so he taught me about being a bartender and... voila! I got the job."

"So you worked here before, too?"

"Yes, as the cleaning service," Byulyi smiled. "Jeong work here, too, actually, as the waitress. But she's down with flu since yesterday so I told her to take a day off."

"Flu?" I choked on my drink. "I thought Anihumans can't be sick?"

"You wish," Byulyi rolled her eyes. "Jeongyeon has had a bad cough before and Momo caught food poisoning thrice because she didn't pay enough attention to her food."

I giggled, imagining the strong-looking Jeongyeon on her bed coughing her lungs out. "Those girls really need some caretakers."

Byulyi nodded fondly. "Well, they've got me for a while now. Wonder what would happen to them when they go to the other side."

"The... other side?"

"Yeah, you know," Byulyi shrugged her shoulders. "When they passed the final exam and become rulers. That means they'll be living on the other side, no? The Anihuman world, I mean."

A couple suddenly sit a few stools away from me, making Byulyi excuses herself apologetically and serves the couple, leaving me thinking.

Byulyi said that so casually as if it's not a thing that's bothering her. But I myself have had some thought about my Anihumans sisters' inevitable leaving. Their stay in the human world is temporary. And once they pass the last examination, they'll be crowned rulers and leave the human world.

Leaving _me_.

I sighed.

I shouldn't be thinking this. There's still a lot of time because Yoona said that they'll train the girls first before the third examination come. At least for a month, I will still be able to live with them.

I closed my eyes, resting my forehead on the table.

This issue riles me up more than I thought it would be.

 

_ End of Yongsun's POV _

###

Tiffany looks deathly pale when she greets the younger Anihumans. Her left arm's in a cast and exhaustion soaks her whole existence. Sana, as the one sitting at the seat nearest to the door had run to help her, but Tiffany simply smiled and waved her away. Behind the seemingly dying woman is Seohyun, her face near blank as usual.

"Hello..." Tiffany smiles, leaning her body to the headrest. "I'm... well. I'm sorry I'm not in my top form today. So I'm gonna make it quick."

She glances at the nine girls sitting in front of her until her eyes stop at Jihyo. "Care to report, Jihyo-ah?"

Jihyo nodded and explains everything to Tiffany. The ruler just closed her eyes, listening while Seohyun wrote what Jihyo said in a small notebook. Once the Phoenix's done, Tiffany sighed.

"Okay, thank you very much. It is just like what I've predicted. Seems like we have the same way of thinking, girls," the Pegasus smiled. But her smile didn't reach her eyes and it made the younger all looking in worry. "Seohyun's going to tell you something regarding the third exam, pay attention."

Seohyun cleared her throat once. "Okay, so our third exam will commence approximately two months after today. Along the two months recess, you are expected to come to the castle every day to train your newfound power with us. The training will start next week. This week, I want you to practice perfecting your transformation, especially the Legends and Special ones..."

The ruler cocked her head to Momo, Jihyo and Chaeyoung. "Because you girls need more time to transform. I hope you'll be able to make your transformation time faster and more efficient before the real training start. Just in case you girls need a wider space, you are free to visit the Anihuman world whenever you want."

She then took a golden crest in the shape of a crescent moon from her pocket and gave it to Momo. "This crest will take you to a specific training spot. And you are also free to roam the region as you please. But you're not allowed to come to the castle until we contact you again. Am I understood?"

The nine girls before her nodded. Seohyun nods back, smiling as she pockets her notebook. "Alright then, any question?"

Nayeon raises her hand. "I.. I want to ask something. But it's not about the exam. Or the training. May I?"

"Sure, go ahead, Nayeon-ah."

"Umm..." the deer turned to look at Tiffany, who seemingly realizes her motive and sighed. "Tiffany-unnie. Are you okay?"

Tiffany was silent for a few moments, locking her eyes to Nayeon's worried stare. She then smiled. A broken, tired smile that made Seohyun loops her arms across the older's shoulders. "No, I'm not, Nayeon-ah. I haven't been okay since a week ago."

"Unnie.." Seohyun sadly pats Tiffany's shoulder.

"But don't worry. This is not something concerning you. You girls should focus on your examination, instead," Tiffany chuckled. "Just let us do our thing, yeah?"

"Unnie," Mina cuts through Tiffany's sentence. The usually silent wolf is now staring hard at the ruler, hands clenching on some papers. She then put the papers in front of Tiffany and Seohyun. "We went back to the Sixteen Academy yesterday, and we found these. Please explain."

Tiffany took a peek to the words filling the papers and sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"The truth," Jihyo speaks up. "The whole truth about the SM Region."

"Okay, then," Tiffany nodded. Seohyun seemed alarmed by this and tugged the older's sleeve. Tiffany just shushed her. "It's okay, Seo. They deserve to know."

"But, unnie..."

"No. They have to know," Tiffany said sternly. Her smile has gone and she's now wearing the most serious face she ever had. "First. Tell me what you know first. Who am I?"

"You're Tiffany Hwang," Mina starts. "Ruler of the SM Region. You are registered as the third in command. Animal form, Pegasus. Class Legendary."

"Wrong."

Mina blinked. "W-What?"

Tiffany shrugged. "I'm a Rare. And my actual form was not a Pegasus. I used to be a Snow Leopard. My form changed two eras ago."

"H-how could that–"

Tiffany gave Mina no chance to ask as she continues her question. "Next. Soshi team. How many members are there, how many are active and what are our forms?"

Jeongyeon coughed once. "There are nine members with seven current active members. Aside from Tiffany Hwang, there are Lee Sunny, fourth in command, head advisor, red panda. Seo Joohyun, advisor, Archaeopteryx. Choi Sooyoung, transporter, Allosaurus. Kim Hyoyeon, defender, Sarchosuchus. Kwon Yuri, internal relation, lioness. Im Yoona, ambassador, Inland Taipan."

"Wrong again."

"Eh? But the records at the Academy said–"

"We have eight active members and one member in a vacuum. Now tell me who are these two members?"

"Kim Taeyeon and Jessica Jung Sooyeon," Jihyo said.

"Who is our first in command?"

"Kim Taeyeon," Tzuyu answers confidently. "Jessica Jung Sooyeon was the second in command."

"At least you got one question right," Tiffany licks her lips. "Now. Tell me what happened at the SM Region two eras ago?"

"There was a war," Nayeon speaks, eyes skimming a small clipping of Anihuman newspapers. "Jessica Jung rebelled against the rulers. The war made Kim Taeyeon went berserk and she's now being kept at the high council facility. Jessica Jung was then caught by the high council and was banished from the K-continent."

"Out of all things you said to me, you only got one right," Tiffany sighed.

Nayeon blinked. "How could that be? All the newspapers two eras ago said the same thing!"

"It's because they're the media, Nayeon-ah. They twist ordinary stories into something more spectacular so their readers won't be bored," Seohyun said calmly. "But the only one who knows the truth is us, Soshi team and the high council themselves."

"Now, because almost everything you got from the Academy's directory was wrong, I'm going to tell you about our region. The truth about the Soshi team. About Taeyeon's condition. About Jessica's banishment, and most importantly.." Tiffany took a deep breath, closing her eyes to prevents herself from tearing up.

"The truth about the war that destroyed K-continent, two eras ago."

 

_ To be continued... _


	20. What We Were

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TIffany, and the region SM used to be

TW : For another blood and a bit of violence. Nothing too explicit

__________________

 

Chapter 20

 

_ Tiffany's POV _

 

I remember.

"Ppany-ah? Wake up."

She, who always calls me with a double 'p' at the start of my nickname, instead of the usual 'f' everyone's calling me with. She, who is now stroking my hair with love as I stirred from my sleep. And she, who always be the first face I see when I open my eyes.

"Taetae," I grumbled. The sunlight from the windows made me squints my eyes. "It's still so early in the morning."

"It's 9 A.M now, Ppany-ah. Even Sica has been awake already," she chuckled. She moves from her place beside me, taking my blanket with her. I shivered as the cold wind gushes through my body. "Come on, get ready. The new ruler candidates are going to be fetched today. We're starting the examination."

"New ruler candidates already?" I asked in irritation as I fix my disheveled clothes. "I thought it's only been a few days since Riaj's team failed."

"It's been an era since Riaj failed. Don't be silly. Come rise and shine before Sica comes to get you up," she giggled, running her hand through her dark hair to smooth it. She then offers her hand to me, and I have no choice but to accept it.

I smiled at her as she pats my head.

"Let's go?"

I followed her.

I've always been following her.

And I know, I will always follow her.

Kim Taeyeon. My Queen.

###

I remember four girls. One with a smile brighter than the sun, one prettier than the full moon, one as dynamic as the wind, and one as staunch as the mountain.

They are polite, eager and determined as they bowed to us, eyes shining in anticipation. I noticed the two keepers all brimming with pride of their Anihumans sister. I felt the warmth in my chest, finding myself reminiscing the time I spent with my own keeper, years ago.

"This team seems strong," I remember Hyoyeon whispered to me in excitement.

I nodded at her. "They're number one in the academy. There's no doubt of their strength, Hyonnie."

Taeyeon stepped to the very front, taking her spot as our leader. She introduced ourselves to the girls and their keepers, keeping her friendly and humble attitude despite her status as the leader of the topmost area in the K-continent. She easily caught their attention and their heart. As the usual drill, she gave them time to prepare for the first examination before she allow them to leave with Sooyoung.

"Okay, girls," Taeyeon clapped her hands to make us gather to her. "Our examination period has started. From now on, we're going to be examiners, so I expect you to always present yourself in your best shape. And as usual, we'll give them three levels of examination. Prepare yourself for the best and for the worst."

She turned at Hyoyeon. "Hyo, have you check the borders?"

"Already done, ma'am," our Kim Choding saluted cheekily. "I've gone through them yesterday. I'm going to do that again tomorrow and the day before the first exam commence."

Taeyeon nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Yul? Have you contacted all of the district leaders about the upcoming exams?"

"Yes I have. They're all thrilled to participate in the exams, so I gave some of them the jobs of preparing the assembly points," Yuri grinned. "We're only going to the southwest and the northeast area of the region, right?"

"Yes. There are only two keepers so they're going to split into two teams," Taeyeon turned to Yoona. "And you? Have the high council approved our methods?"

"Well, it's not like we changed the procedures from the previous exams," Yoona shrugged her shoulder but still smiling. "Leader BoA approved. IU said she's going to visit sometimes."

"Okay, good," Taeyeon patted Yoona's back affectionately. "So I assume it's all done? Remember, even if we're done preparing, we still have to expect for the worst. But let us just relax for today, okay? I'll give you two days to rest and at the third we'll have a briefing about the first test. Dissmised!"

Hyoyeon cheered at that and she immediately leaves the castle. We know she's having some affair with a citizen at the western district but she told us nothing. We can't even stalk her. Our precious region guardian is always on full alert and she'll always find us out.

Yoona had gone with Yuri, Seohyun and Sunny somewhere, probably strolling around the forest surrounding the castle. I turned to look at my vice leader, giggling when I found her half-asleep while standing.

"Sica-ah," I called as I nudged her arm. She blinked her sleepiness away and looked at me annoyedly.

"What?"

"Are you going to sleep here or go back to your room?" I raised my eyebrows. "I don't want to be blamed again if you fall face first into the floor."

Jessica grumbled, ruffling her blonde-ish brown hair and saunters to her own room. Taeyeon called her once, asking about something regarding the exam in which I didn't really listen to and Jessica raised her thumbs. She then yawned, returning her walk and hit the door once before she disappears into the corridors.

"Bitch."

Was the last word I heard from Jessica that day.

I shift my attention to Taeyeon as she shook her head. She smiled fondly to the remnant of her partner in crime's shadows. "She's never going to change isn't she?"

I shrugged. "I don't think so."

Taeyeon turned on her heels. She left the throne room towards the back garden, not before she took my hand and pulls me with her. I quicken my steps for a bit so I can link my arm with hers. She smirked.

"What's with the sudden affection?" she asked teasingly.

I just giggled and rest my head on her shoulder. Even if she's shorter than me, I always find it comforting when we're like this, her hair tickling my face. I twirled some of her dark locks between my fingers. "You seem stressed. A penny for your thought?"

Taeyeon sighed, heavily. It's really unusual for her to be this anxious. Her hand found mine and she intertwined our fingers, grasping it slightly. "I don't know. Ppany-ah. I'm just... you remember what Hyoyeon told us about the movement outside the western border of our region? The desert tribes had yet to report any progress."

I nod. Taeyeon continues. "I'm afraid there will be an invasion in the time of the exam. If there are, we have to postpone the exam until it's all cleared."

"Don't worry, Taetae," I murmured, running my free hand along her tense arm. "We'll be able to put if off. Just like how we usually do, ne? Don't worry. It's not like our region have never been invaded by liberate groups of thugs. Just focus on the upcoming exam and trust Hyoyeon to defend our region."

She mulls over my words for a while. Our leader sighs again, leaning her against mine.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Ppany-ah."

"It's okay to be worried, Taetae," I nuzzled her neck. "But do put faith in our members. We are trained to be prepared for everything, ne? Let's just hope for the best and if worse comes to worst, none of us would be alone to brave the storm."

"I know, Ppany-ah, and I do have faith in them. In us," she grinned at me.

"We're a team, after all."

###

I was hoping that Taeyeon's feeling is simply a feeling.

But I should have known. Not even the universe dared to lie to the strongest living Anihuman.

I remember the day clearly, when it all comes down to us. We just finished the second examination when Hyoyeon fell through the front door bathed in blood. There are swords lodged into her back. Some of it went through her body. And they're not just normal swords either. They are aura swords.

"HYOYEON!"

Sunny and Yoona immediately sprinted to the girl who is throwing up blood all across the throne room. Sunny's green aura quickly enveloped Hyoyeon, preventing her from having a hypovolemic shock because of blood loss. All eight of us surround her, helping to maintain her life force as Sunny drags her to the infirmary.

"Ambush–" Hyoyeon choked through her flooded lungs. "–Syne–"

Hyoyeon can't finish her sentence because her consciousness gave up.

Another reason, was because of the sudden flame erupting inside our castle.

Taeyeon's kind and soft dark eyes turned red as her power blazed in fury. Her calm voice bled with pure rage when she commanded us. "Sunny and Sooyoung, take Hyoyeon somewhere safe! Yul, you get our candidates and the keepers! Yoong, contact the high council then put out the fire! Seo, Sica, Ppany, we're going to fight!"

I nodded at her, channeling my power and transforming into my feline form. Seohyun and Jessica too changed beside me, both flapping their wings rapidly. Meanwhile, Taeyeon simply turned her arms into claws. We approached the sounds of roaring animals following the line of fire.

I caught a swift black thing moves at the corner of my eye. Jessica saw it too and she dove, slamming talon first into an animal I recognized as a tasmanian devil. As the Anihuman howled, five more creatures showed up. Three of them surrounded Taeyeon while Seohyun and I faced off against one each.

The jaguar challenging me snarled. I simply stood, narrowing my eyes as I analyze the beast before me. It must have seen the flickers of blue in my golden eyes because it strikes. I dodged its claws, pivoting on my foreleg and kicked the jaguar on its face. It recovered fast, though, because it quickly sinks its teeth into my hips.

I roared and I slammed my whole body to its bigger frame. I slashed my claws across its stomach, ripping flesh and drawing blood from the jaguar. We fought for quite some time, biting and clawing and kicking each other. I saw its paw trying to land a slap on my face and I swerved down, headbutting its chest until it's pushed backward. I took the chance to tackle it to the floor, my legs pinning its paws as I focused my power into my eyes.

** "Where are you from?" **

I asked, using my power to force an honest answer from the jaguar. It snarled at me, refusing to meet my now shining blue eyes. I growled, pushing its paws harder against the floor until I feel the bones inside shift.

** "Tell me before I break your limbs," ** I gnarled, snapping my jaw right above its throat. **"Or your throat. Whichever comes first."**

It struggled against me, still avoiding my eyes but a pair of hands forcefully turned its head. Its darkened brown eyes met my blue ones and its body immediately goes limp. I chuckled, still staring at its now helpless eyes as I intimidate it with my power.

** "Tell me who send you." **

It doesn't even stutter when it answers me. "The Syne Region."

"What for?" the owner of the hands keeping the jaguar on its place interrupted. When the jaguar doesn't answer, she scoffed.

I wanted to roll my eyes but I have to keep on eye contact. "Sica-ah it's not going to answer. It only listens to me."

"Sad. I also want to interrogate," I heard the pout in Jessica's voice.

I smirked. "Well, sorry babe but this is my range of job."

I refocused my attention to the still silent jaguar. **"What do you achieve by breaking into the Silver Moon Region?"**

"Mistral is going to lead an invasion. The Silver Moon Region is too proud. They need a reminder."

** "We don't need a reminder for being the strongest. And it's a fact,"  ** I spat. **"When will the invasion commence?"**

"Now."

My eyes widened. Jessica's grip on the jaguar's jaw also tightened. I heard her teeth rattled as she tried to contain her rage. "Tiffy. Do you still need to interrogate or not?"

I narrowed my eyes. **"How many people?"**

"Our whole army is coming."

Jessica's nails are now starting to draw blood. I licked my lips. "I'm done."

I closed my eyes as Jessica snapped the jaguar's neck. When I opened it back, all I see is the lifeless eyes of the Syne jaguar. When I lift my gaze to meet Jessica's, her whole body is shaking with anger. She exhaled, loudly.

"I'm going to fetch the other. Tell Taeng and Seo to prepare," she leered at my wounds, snickering. "And heal yourself. Ciao, Tiff."

She transformed quickly into her peregrine falcon form and sped through the air. I turned to my fellow rulers. Seohyun was wiping her bloodied hand on a handkerchief while Taeyeon was busy pulling out some darts on her body. I approached her and helped her with it.

"Thanks, Ppany-ah," she smiled at me. I noticed the heaps of ashes behind her body and dared not to ask. Instead, I run my fingers across her skin bruised by the darts.

"What are those darts?"

Taeyeon grumbled. "They shot me with thousands of those needles. Probably some sedatives. Can't really be sure."

I wrinkled my forehead. "They could be poisons, Taetae."

She shook her head. "No, it's different. This drug, whatever this is, meddles with my consciousness. I might pass out with how many doses they inject me with, but not in a short time."

"Okay then," I nodded, still not fully convinced.

She rubbed my lower arm as Seohyun approaches us. "Ppany-ah, you got anything?"

"Mistral and the whole Syne Region army is on their way here," I confessed. I saw Taeyeon's expression harden so I continue. "They're waging a war."

Our leader closed her eyes, inhaling slowly. When she opened her eyes, her irises had changed again into a purplish shade. She turned her attention to our youngest. "Seo? Are you up for the task if I ask you to scout to the western area? Only until you found Mistral's army. Come back quick after that."

She saluted. With that, Seohyun morphed into her beast form and flew away. Taeyeon sat down after Seohyun's departure, shutting her eyes close and meditating. I tugged her nape. "Taetae you have to get yourself treated. Those drugs might be dangerous."

"I'm still able to fight Ppany-ah. They aren't going to interfere with my systems," she mumbled, hands gripping her pants angrily. "We have two members down."

"What? Who?" I was taken aback by her exclamation. When she refused to answer, I closed my own eyes and focusing myself on the bond between our members. I felt the faint teal of Hyoyeon's life force and I sighed in relief, but I also felt the flickering grey owned by Yuri.

I choked. "Y-Yul–"

"She was ambushed," Taeyeon confirmed my fear. As the team leader, Taeyeon was more capable of sensing our team individual condition. "Alive, but critically injured. Sica had found her. She's being treated by Sunny now."

"W-what about the candidates? And the keepers?"

Taeyeon's grip on her pants tighten. "The keepers are safe. Their memories have been altered."

"Tae–"

"Rae-il and her team all died," Taeyeon took a deep breath. She must have been grieving but there's no time for us to mourn our deceased candidates. "Shit, Mistral. I should have known they're keeping a grudge against us after the failed diplomatic treaty."

I was silent after that, letting Taeyeon replenishes her power by meditating. Jessica returned some times later with only Yoona and Sooyoung in tow. I nodded to the three of them. Our vice leader grunted and I pat her shoulder in an act of understanding. Jessica leaned to my touch.

"I was late," she muttered dejectedly. I shook my head. "No, you're not. You came just in time."

"If I was faster–" she gritted her teeth and I took her hand to mine, grasping it tightly. "No, Sica. She'll be okay. Focus on the upcoming event."

She went silent. She closed her eyes for a while and smirked at me when she opened it back. "Yeah. Sorry, Tiff."

I smiled back at her just as Seohyun arrived. She plucked some of her bloodied feathers as her beast form kneeled in front of us. "The earliest troop has reached the border of the desert. I don't know how many more behind them because I flee when they attacked me."

"Thanks Seo," Taeyeon stood up. She brushed the dust on her pants and casts her gaze on us. We all nodded, already understood the meaning of her gaze.

Taeyeon roared. Her petite body shined with the black light of her aura, gradually growing bigger following her animal form. Even if I'd watched her transformed for probably a million times, I was still awed with the pitch black scales slowly covering her whole body. A pair of massive leathery wings sprouted from shoulder blades, followed by a long scaly tail that ends with a blazing blue fire. Sharp claws from four strong limbs made a distinct screeching noise when she moved on the marble floor. Her long neck, vertebrae filled with protruding spines, supports her massive lizard head. Two long horns jutted out from above her eyes while some other from the side of her skull. Rows of fangs filled her jaw, glinting with the flash of fire from inside her throat. Taeyeon opened her eyes, showing us a pair of orbs constantly changing in color.

This time, it was red. Taeyeon's rage was truly over the top.

" **Get on me, girls** ," the dragon speaks, voice rumbled deep from her bony chest. " **Let's show those pesky Syne the proof behind our title as the K-con strongest.** "

###

I wasn't meaning to brag, but whenever Taeyeon personally stepped into a combat, it always ends with a one-sided massacre.

She would fly across the battleground, spitting her fire to everyone opposing her. From time to time, some enemy Anihumans would fly to her to try to injure our Queen. But Jessica will always be faster, snatching the inferior avian Anihumans from the skies and wreck them with her own way.

From below, I simply watched them. Those two are probably half the reason we're declared as the strongest team in the whole K-continent. Their teamwork is crazy good, and if they're in the mood in doing some collaboration attack, the result would be devastating.

Because they aren't afraid to kill.

My attention was ripped from them as Sooyoung dashed past me, running through some smaller Anihumans, flattening them in the process. Her jaw was open to catch anyone standing in her way with her knife-like teeth. The second biggest lizard on our team was on fire. I believe it was because of Hyoyeon and Yuri's condition. Those three are best friends, after all.

I saw Yoona slithered after Sooyoung. Her small body made her vulnerable of attacks, but also made her extremely efficient in battles as she's able to move fast between the bigger Anihumans' legs. And her venom kills in a few seconds, so it would end the battle faster the more enemies she got her fangs into.

Seohyun moved on her own accord, swiping her wings here and there, breaking neck here and there. She rarely tackles her enemy because she simply loves to take her enemies flying only to drop them off. Our maknae gave me a smile as she flew past me.

While I'm standing here at the very back of the battleground, substituting Sunny's job as the medic. My knowledge and power are subpar at best, but it's better than nothing. I observed as my fellow teammates fought bravely, slowly but surely wiping out the Syne army and forcing them to their knees.

I watched as Mistral –the leader of the Syne region– in his Mammoth form, bravely stood against Taeyeon. I'd never heard what their conversation was, but I caught the expression of pure panic on Taeyeon's face, the maniacal laugh burst out from Mistral's throat, then the fury ripping through Taeyeon's feature... and then... nothing.

Our leader was expressionless, but I saw her eyes flickering in color.

I nearly screamed when the color stopped at white and Taeyeon impaled Mistral with the claw on her wing joint.

The mammoth choked out blood at the end of his life, body slowly going limp as Taeyeon pulled out her claw.

I watched her moving slowly backward, taking a very deep breath...

...and she roared into the sky.

The battle immediately stopped.

The enemies are all stunned, shaken to the bone when they heard Taeyeon's terrifying roar.

My team and I, on the other side, was aghast.

We didn't recognize Taeyeon's voice. Taeyeon's roar has always been deep, proud and imposing to the one against her, but there's a sense of calm and protectiveness in her voice.

Now, though, her voice was downright maniacal, rough, broken, and laced with something sinister. When she lowered her head, I immediately noticed the lunatic smirk she's sporting.

"SHIT–"

Taeyeon turned to face us, scleras pitch black with her irises white. She roared again, this time while simultaneously vomiting inferno. Every single Anihuman who is standing on her line of fire was scorched to ash. I snapped out of my reverie when the dreadful screams of her victims filled my ears.

"SOSHI, RETURN!!"

My team minus Jessica quickly assembled, all wearing a confused and terrified expression.

"Unnie! Something's really wrong!" Seohyun exclaimed in panic.

"Unnie! What happened?! Why is Taeyeon-unnie rampaging like that?!" Yoona shook my shoulders. Far behind her, Taeyeon had started walking around the battlefield, casually crushing people and burning them into nothingness.

I shook my head, equally confused by the situation. "I don't know what happened. But this is a disaster. Whatever it was that made Taeyeon like that, we have to stop her from destroying a larger area. Soo, I need you to go back home and notice the high council."

"What does the high council have anything to do with this?!" the Allosaurus cried in exasperation.

I pulled her collar closer to me. "Just do what I said! If anything, IU could aid us in stopping Taeyeon! Moreover, they'll know that this was caused by the Syne Region, not us. Go, now!"

Sooyoung nodded at that and instantly teleported away. Right after that, Jessica landed before me. She has her left arm burnt, face smeared in black soot courtesy of Taeyeon's fire. Jessica looked as if she's trying to say something but a violent cough replaced her sentence. I supported her when she hunched over, spitting ashes from her lungs.

"Taeyeon– she's– cough! Mistral poisoned her–" her sentence stopped there while she gasped for air.

"What kinda poison–" Yoona also stopped herself, eyes widening in shock and she covered her mouth. "No. No please no. Sica-unnie–"

Jessica gripped my arm tightly it hurts. "The Saeva– cough– he poisoned her with... with the Saeva– poison..."

My everything numbed since I heard Jessica's explanation. The Saeva poison. The rarest, most feared poison ever made in the Anihuman world. Nobody, until this time, could understand the mechanism of action from the Saeva poison. But everyone knows, that Saeva poison is the only known substance that will surely destroy an Anihuman's mind.

Turning it into a savage, mindless beast named the berserk Anihuman.

I glanced at Taeyeon, still in denial of her current state.

But Taeyeon's white irises, black scleras, leaking aura and her overall attitude were the total giveaway.

She went berserk.

I felt tears pricking at the corner of my eyes but I blinked it away, realizing that this is not the time to be sad.

"We have to stop her."

Seohyun shot me an incredulous look. "How? There is no known method to restore a berserk Anihuman's mind! She's doomed to be like that for the rest of her life!"

"Listen to me closely, Seo Joohyun," I snarled lightly at her. "We have to _stop_ her."

Jessica coughed. "Tiff–"

"There is a way to _stop_ her. Despite temporarily," I tightened my grip on Jessica's waist. "Right? Sica-ah?"

Silence.

Seohyun and Yoona both are looking at me in disbelief. I returned their stare with a determined look. Jessica coughed once more then pushed herself off of my body. She took a deep breath and searched my eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" Jessica licked her dry lips. "Tiffany, there is no guarantee that this will prevail–"

I cut her sentence. "I'm sure, Sica."

She grunted. "Fine."

But Seohyun caught my hand, grasping it tightly between her own."Unnie, no! Your body won't be able to withstand it!"

Yoona took my other hand, sobbing. "Unnie, please, don't sacrifice yourself like this. We can find another way! Soo-unnie is going to return with the high council! You don't have to do this!"

"We can't wait, Seo, Yoong!" I shouted, shocking the maknaes. "Time's not waiting for us! No one will know when the council will come! Taeyeon's going to destroy our region if we let her in her rampage. We have to stop her, fast. This is the only way available to us, now, Seo, Yoong."

I let their hands go, approaching Jessica who is already meditating. I ignored their cries as I sat beside Jessica and I touched her hand, connecting our mind and our power.

_ Tiff... _

I heard Jessica's voice inside my mind.

_ Yes? _

Jessica sighed, clearly troubled with the way we're going to take.

_ I'll share the burden with you. You won't be alone, Tiff. I'll always be with you.. _

I smiled.

_ Aren't we always? _

With that, I felt our powers becoming one, seeping into the earth, into the air, into the mind of the berserk dragon that used to be our Taeng. Taeyeon shifted when she felt our power creeping into hers, and she turned to us. Before she could attack, Jessica's and my power manifested itself into chains, trapping the massive dragon to the ground.

One particular chain shot from the earth into her chest. Taeyeon was angry. She thrashed, trying to free herself from the chains especially the one on her chest. I felt the tug on my power every time Taeyeon moved the chains, but Jessica kept a tight grip on our berserk leader.

I nearly choked when another chain appeared from the ground before me, lodging itself into the center of my chest. The chain flared with blue fire and it burned my whole existence. I took a deep breath, my body shaking in pain. Jessica noticed this and she grasps my hand tightly.

_ Hold on, Tiff. _

I gritted my teeth, feeling a whole new power made way into my body.

_ I'm okay _ .

The one not okay was Taeyeon. She's now continuously spitting out her flame, very very angry because of her constantly depleting power. Yes. This method we were doing is a procedure to steal one's power and move it into another person's body. It was actually a very illegal practice, but it's the only way we're able to tune down Taeyeon's destruction.

If we succeed, and if I survive, Taeyeon's power will lessen considerably and we'll be able to seize her. It was impossible for any of us to capture her when she's in full power.

I cracked my eyes open, trying to look at my leader. Taeyeon was still struggling, but she gradually grew smaller with each passing minute. I fought through my blurry eyes so I can keep up with Taeyeon's condition.

"Oh no! Shit! Tiff!"

Was that Jessica? I couldn't be sure. Her voice sounds so very distant it could have been my imagination.

"Tiffany! Tiffany do you hear me?!"

Oh.

Maybe she did call me. But I can't move my head even if I want to see her. I wonder why.

"Seohyun! You go there and take Ta–"

I heard Taeyeon's pained cry. Is the procedure done? Have we succeeded in bringing her down?

"Tiffany! Stay with me–"

I felt something liquid and warm on my hands.

"Tiffany!"

I cast my gaze down, finding red, warm liquid covering my whole arm and some of my pants.

"Tiff–"

Then I remembered dark.

###

When I woke up, for the first time in so many eras, the first face I saw wasn't hers.

It was a woman, with pitch black hair and pitch black eyes and lips as red as blood. That woman was sitting on the bedside, flipping through some book I'd never know about. She has her eyes trained on the pages, unaware of me stirring from my very deep sleep. Good, because I certainly need some time to wrack my brain on who the hell this foreign woman is.

So I keep my silence, studying the woman's feature. As I slowly recognize her, I feel pain filling my whole body. It started with my chest, a simple constriction when I try to breathe. Then it moves to my arms, sending uncomfortable tingle all the way to my fingers. My abdominal muscles clenched as the pain creeps through my stomach, to my hips, my thigh, and when it reaches my toes, I yelped.

My body jolted as it finally registers the excruciating sensation.

My voice alerted the woman beside me, and she immediately rushed to check me.

"Tiffany! You're awake!" she exclaimed, relief washing over her feature.

Her voice made me remember. "I-IU?"

She nodded her head in pure joy. "Yes! Yes, it's me! You recognize me!"

I wanted to laugh but my throat burns. "Of course. Who wouldn't?"

"Thank god," IU runs her hand through my hair. "It's been three weeks and I was starting to get desperate."

"A high council member, desperate for a simple ruler?" I grinned. "You're so cute. No wonder Taetae loves you so much. Speaking of Taetae... is she okay?"

IU was silent. Realization dawned on me. "IU? Is Taetae okay?"

She refused to answer. I lift my hand to take hers, gripping it with the strongest force my weak arm could wield. "IU, please. Is Taeyeon okay? Where is she now?"

She sighed, and my world feels like it's crumbling down.

"I can explain."

###

Taeyeon was gone.

No one, not even the high council members, were able to take her down. So the only way to stop her from terrorizing the K-continent is to banish her into the No Man's Land. IU told me that her fellow council member, Ailee, was only capable of herding Taeyeon there. But once they arrived at the NML, Ailee couldn't keep up with Taeyeon and our leader vanished, lost in the unknown lands.

Between the SM Region and the border of the NML lay seven regions, and because the council simply led her all the way there, all of them are suffering from the destruction left by Taeyeon's rampage. IU said that the council had everything under control. The council will pay for every damage done by Taeyeon because she was poisoned, so it was technically not our fault.

"Um... oh, one more thing."

I was just about to sigh in relief when she told me we didn't have to pay for the damage, but her sentence made me stop.

"What is it?"

IU seems flustered. "It's about Jessica."

I tilted my head. "What about Jessica?"

"Well, you know. The both of you had practiced something illegal in the whole K-continent. It was.. the power stealing procedure?"

I nodded. "I am well aware. But you should know that we did that to prevent further casualty."

"Well _I_ know why you did that," she bit her lip. I'm starting to get uneasy. "But what you've done, it was still illegal in public's eye. Chief BoA tried to reason with the general population, but there's not much we could do. And so... the council had to take a difficult choice."

My body felt cold. "Sica..?"

"I'm sorry, Fany. I really do. I tried my hardest, but..." IU's grip on my hands tightened.

"It was decided. Jessica has to leave K-continent. Never to come back."

###

"JESSICA JUNG SOOYEON!"

Jessica whipped her head as my voice boomed across the castle. She seems surprised, just like my other fellow members. They must have not expected me to show up just in time before Jessica's departure, clad in white hospital dress clutching my IV drip.

I strode to her, noticing Hyoyeon who is sitting on a wheelchair and Yuri who is leaning against the door. I'm glad they both have recover, but this time, I focused myself only to the woman standing in the door way.

"Tiff," she smiled. "You're awake."

"I woke up because of your foolishness!" I spat. I threw my caution to the wind as I cried before her. "You shouldn't leave!"

Jessica sighed. "Tiffany–"

"I was the one who asked you to do it!"

"Tiffany–"

"I should have been the one banished!"

"Bitch! Listen to me!" Jessica flicked my forehead, silencing me. "I told you before, haven't I? We'll shoulder the burden together. You've had your share by containing part of Taeyeon's power. This consequence... it's mine. I'll take ownership of my action, Tiffy."

"But it's not fair..." I sobbed and she pulled me into her embrace. "I can't.... I don't want to... I've lost Taetae and now you too? That's unfair... Sicaaa..."

I felt Jessica tightening her embrace and she buried her face to my shoulder. I know she's trying hard not to cry, so I just pulled her harder. I cried for god knows how long. By the time my wailing was reduced into whimpers, Jessica let me go.

"I have to go."

"Nooo," I clutched her arms. She smiled at me as she tugged my hands away.

"I'll be alright, Tiffany."

"No, Sica-ah," I winced at the hoarse voice coming out from my throat. "Please–"

I could only let myself fall to the floor as she slowly moved away, dragging her bags with her. She waved at me, then at the other members around me, wearing a tough expression but with a bitter smile etched on her beautiful face.

I felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around my body and I found myself leaning to the touch. My eyes are blurry as I watched her leave. Before she disappeared into the forests, she turned one more time, saluting to the seven of us.

_ See you out there, Tiffy _

Her voice echoed in my mind. I wept harder.

That was the last word I heard from Jessica, two eras ago.

 

_ End of Tiffany's POV _

 

_ To be continued... _


	21. What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Momo made a decision

Chapter 21

 

To say that they are surprised was an understatement. All nine younger Anihumans are gaping their jaw at the two rulers, brain overheating as they slowly digest the truth spilled by Tiffany. To think that the _actual_ truth greatly differs from what the media said...

There are some wrongs on the rulers' way, yes, but to twist their upheaval like that... that's just straight up heartless.

"That's all I could tell you," Tiffany concluded faintly.

Jihyo swallowed the lump in her throat. The black haired ruler seems tired, defeated, as if everything's over for her. Seohyun silently offers her comfort by rubbing the older's upper arm and Tiffany simply answers with a broken smile.

The Phoenix coughed once, catching the attention of the other females in the room. "IU-sshi came here a few days ago."

Seohyun nodded calmly. "We know."

"Was... was that has anything to do with Taeyeon-sunbaenim?" Jihyo asked carefully.

Tiffany took her time until she exhaled. "Indeed. It was."

Nayeon leaned to the table, hand hovering in hesitation whether to touch Tiffany or not. "C-can you tell us?"

The black haired ruler cast a glance to the younger ruler, then turned to the nine Anihumans. "Taeyeon was spotted strolling at a reachable area near the border. We've been trying to track her for days but we couldn't find her. Even if her tracks are fresh, there are things that hinder us to proceed deeper into the NML."

"Because of the berserks?" Momo suddenly chimed in. She sat straight on her seat, almost looks like she's about to jump the ruler. Dahyun gripped her hand to stop the vixen. At Tiffany's sullen nod, Momo slumped back down. Her throat bobbed when she gulped and she closes her eyes as she continues. "Was... was the disaster at the JYP region two eras ago–"

Momo doesn't need to finish her sentence because the rulers understand perfectly.

"Yes, Momo," Seohyun answered. Voice firm with an apparent tint of guilt. "And, yes. Taeyeon-unnie's condition was what indirectly caused you harm."

Dahyun's grip tightened as Momo took a deep breath.

Jeongyeon rubs Momo's back before she focused her attention on the two rulers. "So you were trying to track down Taeyeon-sunbaenim? What are you going to do once you've found her?"

Tiffany sighed at the question and Jeongyeon frowned. "We're going to kill her."

A collective gasp.

"Why?" Tzuyu chases. "Why are you going to kill her?"

"Because her presence has disturbed No Man's Land environment. Ever since her arrival, NML has become a more dangerous, barren land unable to support life. No matter what, the berserks are living Anihumans too. They deserve to survive. Taeyeon-unnie's death will at least grants them a chance to live," Seohyun explained grievously.

"By killing her?" Chaeyoung asked, unbelieving. "Are there no other ways? Can't you guys revert her back? She was poisoned, right? Can't you guys... I don't know, find the antidote to help her?"

"We can't."

"But there _is_ a way!" Sana suddenly exclaimed. Her eyes fired in determination. "The Flowers of Paradise! Found on Shinhwa region! Every literature said that the flower's essence could be used to heal a berserk Anihumans!"

Tiffany let out an exasperated laugh. "The Flowers of Paradise. Minatozaki, those are myths. No Anihuman ever found the flower. Or the Shinhwa region. I repeat, ever. Those are just stories parents made to alleviate their children of the fear of the berserks."

"But the G-Dragon?" Mina stubbornly insists. "The G-Dragon was born on the Shinhwa region, right? He's not a myth! He built the Big Bang region. Silver Moon region stood over what was used to be the Big Bang region!"

"Was he, though?" Tiffany eyed Mina coldly. "No one knows where did G-Dragon come from. There are speculations that he was born on some random region and grew strong enough so he became the first Dragon."

"But–"

"ENOUGH!"

Tiffany slammed the table, surprising the other ten accompanying her. Her pink aura leaked out of her skin, forming a sharp, glowing ooze that intensifies her authority. There are blue flashes in her eyes that made even Momo and Jihyo cower in fear. Dents are forming on the wooden table from where Tiffany's blunt nails dig.

She snarled at the younger Anihumans before she speaks. "We've done everything. _Everything_ , to try to heal Taeyeon. There's nothing else we can do, young ones. _This_ , is what fate has decided for us. Taeyeon's death, or she'll find a way to breach the border and destroy the world."

The Pegasus bowed once then turned on her heels. Seohyun followed hastily after muttering an apology to the younger girls.

However, Tiffany stopped just before she exits the room, exhaling heavily. Her furious eyes turned gloomy as seconds past. "I'm... sorry, for you girls to know about this. But, please, refrain from butting your nose into our problem. Just focus on your exam. We don't want anything bad happens to anyone, ever again. Especially not to you, our precious little dongsaeng."

Tiffany smiled brokenly at the young Anihumans, making their heart constricts in guilt.

"Annyeong, young ones."

With that, both her and Seohyun disappeared.

Silence engulfed the nine girls left by the rulers. They are all buried deep into their own thought, mulling over Tiffany's explanation words by words. The silence breaks when Momo stood up harshly.

"I'm leaving," the nine-tailed vixen announced and she strides away. Jeongyeon immediately went after her, bidding her fellow team goodbye with a worried look on her face.

The seven girls left behind glance to each other in confusion. Nayeon exhaled, leaning against Sana and laughs dryly into the empty air.

"That's some deep shit we're involving ourselves into, eh?"

###

"She hasn't come out?"

Jeongyeon shook her head sadly at Byulyi's question. She laid beside Byulyi on their wooden rug, crossing her arms above her eyes. Byulyi hummed and she stroked Jeongyeon's head to soothe her sister's nerves.

"Unnie, what should we do?" the bear asked sadly. She's been banging on their shared bedroom door for half an hour straight, coaxing and patiently waiting for Momo to open the door. But Momo didn't bother to reply. The brown haired fox had locked herself inside after their meeting with the rulers.

Jeongyeon understands that Momo is upset, betrayed by the fact that she lost two eras of her life because of Taeyeon's accident. Moreover, the other Soshi team must have known about this, but they didn't bother to tell Momo beforehand. Heck, if Sunny and IU didn't come to the human world, Jeongyeon doubts that the rulers will tell them any of this.

"Maybe I should try to talk to her," Byulyi offers.

At Jeongyeon's tired, "Yes, please," Byulyi rose and went to their bedroom. She knocked thrice, softly, ears alert to catch any noises from inside.

"Momo?"

There's a muffled sound from somewhere within the room.

Jeongyeon groaned. "Favoritism."

Byulyi chuckled at her sister who is slowly turning into her animal form, searching for the best spot and position to have a nap. She turned back to the door, knocking to let Momo know that she's still there.

"Momo, can unnie come in?"

Silence save from the faint snore from the Kodiak bear behind her back.

Then a click, followed by the telltale screech of the door hinge as it slowly moved open. Byulyi counts it as an invitation and stepped inside. There's a strange smell of fire and something else as she gets inside the room, making her scrunched her nose. She found Momo perched on top of a wooden chest Byulyi uses to store her underwears, hugging her knees while playing with a white fire from her palm.

Momo looks up at the approaching human, sighing quietly. "Hey, unnie."

Byulyi raised her eyebrow as she sat on the bed. "Hey, Momo."

The fox smiled stiffly and she scoots closer to Byulyi, who wraps her arm around her sister's shoulder and pulled her close. Byulyi instinctively rubbed Momo's upper arm. The younger girl sighed contently, leaning herself against her sister's side.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Momo shook her head. "No. Jeong must have told you, anyway."

"Ah, so you know."

Momo chuckled. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Momo opened her mouth.

"Am I wrong?"

"For?"

The fox shrugged. "I don't know. Feeling like this?"

Byulyi denied that easily. "There's nothing wrong with your feeling. I didn't go through what you went, but I do get the gist of it. You've lost so much, so your feeling is justified. At least, for me. And for Jeongyeon, who both are simply outsiders in this issue of feeling."

Momo was silent as Byulyi continues.

"But do _you_ justify your feeling?"

The fox cringed at that, moving away from Byulyi's embrace to once more hug her knees. Momo lets out a dry laugh as she summoned another flicker of fire from her finger.

"I don't... I don't feel good, about this whole ordeal, yeah. It hurts me to know that they've kept this information for long, and it hurts me more because it's actually _them_ that made me like," Momo gestures to her whole body. "Like what I used to be."

Byulyi nodded in acknowledgment. She chose to stroke Momo's fisted hand that is not juggling the spark of fire between her fingers. The young Anihuman whimpered, shutting her eyes tight.

"But I don't... I don't feel any, resentment? Why, unnie? Shouldn't I be mad? Angry at them? But I'm not! I don't actually feel anything aside from the shock when I heard that! I don't know what's wrong but, no matter what, I can't really be upset at them."

Byulyi smiled. "Maybe... it's because you've actually accepted that everything simply has... passed."

"...passed?"

"Yes, Momo," the older girl patted her younger sister's head, urging Momo to look at her. "You thought you've lost two eras of your life because of the accident. But did you, _really_?"

Momo took her time to think over Byulyi's words. When she failed to understand, she stares helplessly at her sister who chuckled. Byulyi leaned back to lay on the bed and Momo took the cue to curl beside Byulyi.

"Mo, you might think that you lost two eras of your life because of the accident. Well, from my point of view, you lost nothing. Instead, you gain more."

"How so?"

"Easy," Byulyi laughs softly. "What did you do for the whole two eras since the accident?"

"Hmmm," Momo stares at the ceiling and shrugged. "Training my ass off?"

"Exactly," the older girl smiled. "Mo, you've trained harder than anyone else in your team because of your accident. You trained and fought with your disability. That gave you a wider skill set because you have your 'healthy skills' and 'sick skills'."

Momo grinned. "Sick skills... that sounds cool."

"I know, right?" Byulyi chuckled when she noticed the joyous twinkle returned into Momo's eyes. "You grew stronger, Mo. So strong that you become a Legend. That's a feat not many people could achieve, ne? And your disappearance for two eras made you realize, just how much your friends, your team, love you. You understand the feeling of 'coming home'. You experienced a lot of things your friends didn't, and those are not losses."

The fox Anihuman nods slowly, agreeing with Byulyi's words. But she keeps her silence as she gestures Byulyi to continue. The human simply took a deep breath before she speaks again.

"Everything happens for a reason, Momo. That's what we called as fate. It's not a coincidence that you, a person whose life was thrown into a mess caused by their wrongdoings, end up challenging the throne as the next SM ruler. There has to be a reason, Mo. Maybe.. it's for you to realize that, the hardships you've gone through, made you a better person. For you to cherish what had passed, no matter how hard, how painful, how disastrous it was. So you can appreciate your life more and live life to the fullest."

Momo considers Byulyi's speech thoroughly. Her sisters words helped her to sort her feeling, and at the end of her thinking, she found herself agreeing fully with Byulyi. She couldn't be mad at the Soshi team because deep down, she'd never think of her disability as a misfortune. It was simply an accident, she took the risk to protect her dear friends, and took the chance to rebound to her stronger self despite the wounds.

And now, not even a single scar left on her body.

But she still has the abilities she gained when she's being crippled.

She took a deep breath, gradually coming to terms with her feelings, and opened her eyes.

"A reason..." Momo whispered, realizing something. "I... I grew to be a Legend because Taeyeon-sunbaenim became a berserk.."

"Mhm."

"If.." Momo whipped her head to face her sister. "If she didn't go berserk.. I might not become a Legend like I am right now. Because I didn't grow strong enough. Jihyo might not, too."

Byulyi raised her eyebrow. "Well, maybe."

Momo hummed, stroking her chin seriously. "Soshi team... are not strong enough... because none of them are Legends."

"Momo?"

The vixen grinned wide, turning to her sister with a new determination flared in her eyes.

"I know what I should do."

###

"WHAT THE FUCK?!!"

Momo wiped her face from the iced tea Jihyo spat at her. The two Anihumans are currently sitting in a cafe, having a private meeting courtesy of Momo's request. Jihyo had innocently come, unaware of everything and calmly ordered a glass of iced tea, only to spat it all back to her fellow Legend when Momo explained her plans.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!!"

Jihyo continues her yelling, pointing an accusing finger to Momo. The fox raised her eyebrow.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I am not."

"AND YOU BRING _HER_ ALONG!" Jihyo turned to the other Anihuman sitting beside Momo.

Chaeyoung grinned and waved. "Hi, unnie."

"DON'T 'HI, UNNIE,' ME!" Jihyo hollered. She once more whipped her head to the older Anihuman, slowly going crazy by her previous revelation. "WHY IS CHAEYOUNG HERE?!!"

Momo shrugged. "She's a Special. She's going to be a formidable ally if we're going to continue this."

"AND YOU AGREED?"

Chaeyoung nodded her head. "I feel bad for the Soshi team. At least, we might be able to help ease their worry by trying."

"No, no, no," Jihyo slumped down on her seat, arms crossed over her chest as she looks at her teammates incredulously, "No, this is suicide. You're going to help Soshi team, by challenging Kim Taeyeon? Momo you've got to be kidding me."

"I'm dead serious, Jihyo," the fox sipped her lemon tea calmly. "We are Legends. Plus Chaeyoung is a Special. If we aid the Soshi team in their hunt, they might be able to found Taeyeon-sunbaenim and... do the deed."

"Mo," Jihyo moaned tiredly. "Mo do you know by what name does Kim Taeyeon called?"

Momo nodded. "The 8th Dragon. The only born Dragon in 500 eras. The second strongest Dragon ever alive. The strongest living Anihuman. You name it."

"Exactly," Jihyo reached over the table to flick Momo's forehead. "She's like... the Legend of Legends. We can't challenge her! We're just normal Legends! We have more possibility to die than hers if we fight her!"

"But there's the two of us," Momo raised her index and middle finger. "Plus the Soshi team, and Chaeng. And her power had been stolen by Tiffany-unnie. Moreover, she'd been living on the NML for two eras. It's constant fighting inside that hell, Jihyo. She can't be _that_ strong now, considering everything."

"Still.."

"Unnie," Chaeyoung cuts their argument with a firm voice. "Look, even if you refused, Momo-unnie and I will still offer our help to the Soshi team. I just can't... see them like this. And maybe, what Momo-unnie said is true. We are destined to stop Taeyeon-sunbaenim. We wouldn't know if we don't try."

"One way or another, we're still going to fight her," Momo adds. "Remember what Tiffany-unnie said? NML has become a land unable to support life. One of these days, the berserks are going to breach the border so they can continue living. That includes Taeyeon-sunbaenim. We're going to fight her sooner or later, and by God, I prefer soon because I don't want another disaster happens like what JYP-region went through."

Jihyo moaned again, louder and more tired than the previous one. She eyed her teammates who are looking at her hopefully and groaned. She lifts her hand to massage her temple.

"So even if I say no, you're still going?"

Momo and Chaeyoung nodded.

"Why didn't you tell the other girls?"

Chaeyoung answered lightly. "We can't risk them. The power level is too far-fetched. At least, the three of us could survive if the berserkers attack, but the Rares and Commons? Not a chance."

"So you decided to keep this a secret?"

Momo shook her head. "Not really. At least, not to our keepers. I've talked to Byulyi-unnie. Chaeyoung has also received permission from Hyejin-unnie. We're only waiting for you."

Jihyo contemplates her choices. After a few moments, she sighed.

"Well, damn. I'm your leader. I can't let you roam around without my supervision. Give me a day to talk to Yongsun-unnie and we'll beat the shit outta that Dragon."

 

_ To be continued... _


	22. Into The Lair of The Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt begins

Chapter 22

 

The gust of cold wind blowing from the crack on the window made Sana shivered. Still contented in her deep sleep, the phyton curled and moved the comforter to further cover her body. But it's not enough for her. Her cold-blooded animal form made her easier to feel the chill, and she groaned as one of her hands reaches back to the spot behind her.

"Chaee... cold... hug meeee...."

Sana wails as she gropes around. When she found nothing, the girl wailed harder then turned to face Chayeoung's sleeping form. Or, well, _supposedly_ Chaeyoung's sleeping form. She blinked for a few times to shoo the sleepiness in her as the only thing greeting her is emptiness.

"Whaaa..." Sana moaned in disappointment. She squints to look at the clock hanging on the wall and groaned. "It's... freaking six..."

The light-brown-haired Anihuman slithered her way out of the comforter, stretching her stiff body once her feet touched the floor. Sana yawned and rubbed her eyes cutely, waddling out of the small bedroom she shares with her Sabertooth tiger friend.

Faint clacking sounds from the kitchen told her that Hyejin is wide awake, probably having another early class at the university. True enough, the young keeper is busy preparing herself some lunch while munching on a sandwich. Hyejin noticed Sana's presence and she waved at her sister.

"Mornin' Sa," she greeted after swallowing her food. "Up early?"

"Ngg," Sana nodded absentmindedly, throwing herself down on one of the dining chairs. She flopped her upper body to the table and yawned again. "Too cold."

"Autumn's coming, after all," Hyejin responded, already on her way to clean the utensils she used.

"Right," Sana scoffed. Her snake side trembled at the prospect of the incoming cold. "Where's Chae? Exercising?"

"Ah, she said she's going to the Ani-world."

"So early in the morning?"

"Yup," Hyejin confirmed calmly. "Said she's going to fetch Kim Taeyeon or whoever her name was."

Sana's heart nearly jumped out of her ribcage when Hyejin mentioned that name. The cold in her body feels freezing now, different from the chill of the autumn wind. It's the dreadful, terrorizing kind of cold and she went rigid. Mind halted, Sana stuttered when she tried to repeat Hyejin's words.

"K-K-Kim Taeyeon?"

"Yes."

"W-w-" Sana gasped. "Why did– how did– you let her?!"

Hyejin seems surprised by Sana's sudden rising tone. The college girl turned to find her sister standing upright at the side of the dining table, eyes so wide and face so pale she's almost like a statue. Hyejin shrugged.

"I did."

"How could _you_?!" Sana slammed the table in blind anger. A flicker of white flashed in her brown eyes. She strode to her keeper, hands fisted and oozes her aura from her skin. The girl snarled, showing her elongated fangs. Her nape hair rose with aggression as she uses her full height to intimidate the shorter human.

But Hyejin doesn't seem to be afraid. In fact, she seems concerned about her sister's sudden change. Hyejin leaned against the counter, showing that she carries no threat to the raging Anihuman while still eyeing the other girl carefully.

"Sana? What's wrong?"

This made Sana stopped in her track. The phyton Anihuman blinked, realizing what she's been doing and faltered. Her aura evaporates and the flashes of white in her eyes disappeared. Sana closes her mouth with both of her hands, tearing up once the gravity of the situation dawned on her.

"W-what did I–" Sana couldn't finish her sentence because her body loses her strength. Thankfully, Hyejin's near, fast and strong enough to catch her before she stumbled down to the floor. Her head is pounding as she clenched her eyes shut, willing her power to return to her.

"Sana! Are you okay?!" Hyejin called worriedly. She laid her sister against her smaller frame, stroking Sana's hair to soothe the panting Anihuman. "Sana, I think you're sick–"

"N-no, I'm–" Sana coughed and she pushed herself off of Hyejin, standing up with mild difficulty. Once she managed to steady herself, she sent a smile to the panicking human before her. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Hyejin asked again to reconfirm, and when Sana nodded firmly, she exhales in relief. "Thank God. You scared me."

Sana grinned sheepishly. "Um, yeah, maybe I was just surprised."

"Surprised? About Chaeyoung's whereabouts? I mean, it's expected for you guys to show up at the other world from time to time," the keeper hummed, thinking to herself. She doesn't notice Sana's alarmed expression as she turned back to her previous activity. "And who even is Kim Taeyeon?"

The phyton gulped. She got the idea on what the hell is Chaeyoung doing, or at least, going to do. She also knows that her fellow Anihuman was not being entirely truthful to their keeper about her activities. With a trembling hand, Sana tugged Hyejin's sleeve. "Unnie, can I borrow your phone?"

The young keeper nodded. "Sure, I'm charging it beside the tv."

Sana was already gripping Hyejin's phone in a flash. She quickly dialed the first contact name of the keepers saved by Hyejin. It was Byulyi's, and Sana prays as she pressed the black item to her ears. She heard some static before it changed to a familiar voice greeting her from the other end of the line.

_ "Hello?" _

"Jeongyeon-unnie?"

The phyton exhaled. She is lucky that one of the people she's looking for is the one answering her.

_ "Hi! Is this Sana? What's up?" _

"Unnie, can I talk to Momoring?"

_ "Hm? I don't know where she is. Byul-unnie said she's out but Momo didn't tell where _ . _"_

No.

No, please, no.

"U-unnie?" Sana's voice is wavering. "Do you know where Momoring keep her Silver Moon crest? The one given by Seohyun-unnie? The one that could bring us to the Ani-world?"

_ "Yea, of course. Why?" _

"Unnie, they're... they're... Momoring and Chaenggie–"

Jeongyeon seemingly caught the panic in Sana's voice because her tone grew grave after that. _"Sana. You know where they are."_

It was not a question. It's a statement but Sana couldn't help but nod. "They're.. they're going to chase Taeyeon-sunbaenim into the NML."

There's a harsh intake of air from Jeongyeon's side. The bear is snarling when she says her next words, which Sana understood perfectly because she herself is feeling the same emotion.

_ "I'll find the crest. Alert the others. Yongsun-unnie's house in 20." _

Jeongyeon ends the call before Sana even responds. The phyton doesn't waste any more time, immediately calling another number because there's fear gnawing at the back of her mind. When a calm, quiet voice greeted her, Sana immediately cuts to the point of her call.

"Mina, put Jihyo on the phone."

Mina failed to give her an answer.

And Sana didn't bother to take a bath, or even to change her pyjamas, as she bid her keeper goodbye and dashed to the streets.

###

"I'm ashamed."

A quiet voice from beside her made Jihyo turned her head. Tiffany is walking beside her with her head hung low, all wounds already healed. The Phoenix tilted her head. She touched Tiffany's arm lightly and it made the ruler looks up to her.

"What of, Tiffany-unnie?"

Tiffany sighed. "Myself, actually."

Jihyo understood. The ruler doesn't need to elaborate further as Jihyo linked their arms together, tucking her head on Tiffany's shoulder. Walking ahead of them are seven girls, with Momo leading while occasionally sniffs the fouled air. All nine of them, Jihyo, Chaeyoung, Momo plus the Soshi team minus Sunny, are currently venturing deep into the heart of the No Man's Land.

Albeit the hesitation and the fear of hurting their pupils even further, the SM rulers all fell to the three young Anihumans' offer. It took only twenty minutes of Jihyo's flawless negotiating skills to make the rulers agreed to accept their help. To find their missing leader.

Sunny, being the only Common in the group, decided that she's better off staying behind. She knows she's going to hinder her friends' powers if she comes along. And now, with 6/9 of the Soshi team, Momo leads the group to cross over the barren land.

They had found Taeyeon's tracks just after they entered the isolated area. Now, utilizing Momo's tracking and scavenger senses, they followed the nine-tailed fox silently, alert of any approaching berserks. Momo is gripping a blue pendant that Taeyeon used to wear, repeatedly sniffing the pendant to confirm if she's following the same scent with the one left within the pendant.

Jihyo knows that deep down, Tiffany and the other five rulers are beating themselves up for accepting their offer. Even though they gave pretty unforgiving tests, the rulers loved their candidates with all their heart. Their loss two eras ago also undoubtedly made them all promised themselves not to let their candidates die as long as they live.

That's what made Jihyo nuzzles Tiffany's neck, trying to tell her subtly that it's actually okay. They were the one offering this. The Phoenix tightened her grip as Tiffany exhales. But a soft pat on her head told her that Tiffany's eased up enough to not blame herself anymore.

"She's near," the fox leading them suddenly stopped. Momo crouched down low on the ground, taking a grain of dust and inhales. She then lifted her head and took another deep breath, turning to the eight Anihumans waiting anxiously behind her. "Beyond this hill is a wide plain. I smelled that she's down there. But I also smelled blood, lots of blood, so prepare yourself."

Jihyo unlatched herself from Tiffany to wraps an arm around the taller girl. Momo huffed, butting her forehead to Jihyo's cheek in acknowledgment. Momo is not afraid, not anymore, to any of the berserks. Even if they are berserk, they could still sense their enemies' rank and power level. And they would choose not to challenge people stronger than them.

Since the group entered the No Man's Land, none of the berserks are brave enough to approach the parading Anihumans because of the power they exude. Momo knows that she's stronger now, strong enough so that her presence alone could shoo lesser Anihumans. That's why she's not afraid, confident that she, along with her friends, would be able to put a stop to Taeyeon's terror.

Tiffany taps both their shoulders and she stepped forward. Being the current commander, she bravely leads her team hiking the hill, following Momo's earlier guide. The Pegasus took deep breaths to calm herself as they got nearer and nearer to the top.

Once she's able to look at the plain below her, Tiffany inhales sharply.

There are probably more than a hundred of berserk Anihumans laid lifelessly on the vast clearing. Corpses ranging from as small as a cat to as big as a dinosaur littered the plain. Their dead bodies are filled with claw marks, bite marks, and any other wounds imaginable to human. The broken skin pours blood like rivers, painting the short grass carpeting them with red.

Standing in the middle of the carnage is a small woman surrounded by black fire.

"Taetae," a sob escapes Tiffany's throat as an ache seared through her heart. Her fellow rulers are also disheartened by the sight before them. Sooyoung found Tiffany's hand and grasps it tightly, biting her lips to stop herself from crying.

As if sensing the approaching team, the woman in the middle of the clearing turned.

Jihyo gasped as she finally able to takes in Taeyeon's whole figure. The woman is short, about Sunny's height, wearing a ripped and unbuttoned white blouse with a black sports bra beneath. The exposed pale skin was smeared with ashes, soil, blood, and many other substances. Her ribcage is showing, and her stomach is sporting crisscrossed scars. Some of them are old, some of them are fresh they're still dripping blood.

She's pretty normal, ignoring the anomalies that currently caught Jihyo's eyes. Replacing the berserker's lower arms are a pair of claws, complete with the sharp, thick and pointed nails at the end of every finger. A black, bull-like horn jutted out from the left side of her skull, through the pitch black tresses with light blue tip. Her eyes are different in color, golden on the left and fire red on the right one. From her spine, just above the waistband of her leather pants is a long, scaly tail whipping back and forth lazily. A distinct blue fire blazed at the very end of her tail.

Taeyeon scoffed at the sight of the nine Anihumans, showing a pair of sharp prominent upper fangs.

"Taetae," Tiffany called, slowly moving down the slope with a tense stature. Taeyeon blinked at her, snarling when Tiffany reaches the base of the hill. Behind the Pegasus are the other girls, cautious while simultaneously trying to pose no threat to the Dragon.

"Fany-ah," Yuri warned her fellow ruler, and Tiffany nodded.

"I know. Just let me try."

She then turned to face her berserk leader, who is standing stiffly while eyeing her with interest.

"Taetae it's me," the ruler called again, carefully moving through the corpses laying around her.

Taeyeon sniffed the air once. She tilted her head repeatedly as if trying to recognize the approaching woman. Encouraged by Taeyeon's apparent composure, Tiffany stepped closer with her hand outstretched, hoping for Taeyeon to reciprocate her gesture.

"Taetae, you remember me?"

The Dragon wheezes. She took a step forward, leaning her face to Tiffany's welcoming palm.

Momo noticed the blue light illuminating Taeyeon's throat.

"SHIT–"

Tiffany noticed late, though, as she happily reaches further to try to touch Taeyeon. But once she's only a few centimeters from the Dragon's face, Taeyeon roared and together with that, bursting a line of blue fire from within her chest. Tiffany closed her eyes in shock, fearing the worst, but when she feels arms around her frame and the missing scorching sensation, she dared to open it back.

"Momo?!"

"Tiffany-unnie!" Momo yelled at the ruler in her embrace. Her hands trembled in fear but she managed to keep her hold firm. Momo had made a split second decision, using her signature super speed power to save Tiffany from being burned alive by the very woman she loves with all her heart.

A resounding roar caught their attention. Taeyeon is crouching low, growling angrily while the black aura fire engulfing her doubled in intensity. Her heterochromatic eyes flitted to one Anihuman to another, prepared for any attack coming her way. She snarled at the females surrounding her, whole body tensed in both anticipation and aggression.

"She doesn't recognize us," Tiffany said slowly. She tapped Momo's shoulder once to tell her to let go, standing to her full height and summoned her own power.

"Girls," the Pegasus is now covered in pink light, eyes shining blue as she gazes to her teammates. Following her, Yuri, Yoona, Seohyun, Hyoyeon and Sooyoung are all ready to fight, covered in their respective aura colors. Jihyo soon followed suit, and Momo and Chaeyoung crouched low in preparation to change their form.

Taeyeon roared again, stomping her claws to the ground to show her acceptance of the challenge given by the newly arrived Anihumans.

"You know what to do," Tiffany continues.

The other Anihumans accompanying her nodded, and the Pegasus took a deep breath before she voiced her command.

"Kill her."

 

_ To be continued... _


	23. Inferno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The strength of the Dragon

Chapter 22

 

"Kill her."

It needs only a split second after Tiffany's command for Hyoyeon to strike. The renowned defender of the SM Region launched on her feet, tackling the berserk Dragon to the ground. Sooyoung and Yuri quickly follow, both being the more efficient fighters on their group, helping Hyoyeon in seizing Taeyeon.

Taeyeon who was pinned by Hyoyeon snarled and retaliated, claws caught Hyoyeon's wrist and yanked her to the side. Her other arm shot to hit at Hyoyeon's shoulder, stopping the green-haired Anihuman from digging her teeth to her neck. Heterochromatic eyes saw the flash of grey on her left side. Taeyeon noticed Yuri's approaching figure and slapped Hyoyeon with her claws to set herself free.

The impact of the hit made Hyoyeon falters. Taeyeon immediately gripped her neck, pushing the defender then throws the Anihuman to her fellow ruler. Yuri easily slipped under Hyoyeon's flying body, turning into her animal form in a flash to try to tackle Taeyeon. She immediately stopped in her track when a blue ball of fire flew from Taeyeon's gaping maw and exploded right before her.

Taeyeon jumped to her feet only to be knocked over by Sooyoung slamming her back. The Dragon staggers for a few moments before she swiftly turned around, fisting her claws to meet Sooyoung's knuckles. Their clashing aura blasted, making an impact wave of black and aquamarine to their surrounding. Both retracted their hands, snarling at each other, then Taeyeon lunged with her claws gripping Sooyoung's shoulder.

The Allosaurus put one of her legs back, preventing the Dragon from pinning her to the ground. She grabbed Taeyeon's wrists to try to shove her back down. But Taeyeon was unrelenting, and despite Sooyoung's tight grip on her wrists, she moved forward and slammed her whole body to Sooyoung's larger frame.

It doesn't make Sooyoung's hold to weaken but it certainly does make her defense to crumble. Taeyeon snarled again, preparing another burst of fire from her mouth, yet Yuri followed by Seohyun closed in to the two and Seohyun circled an arm on Taeyeon's neck, pulling, choking her and forced her to swallow back the fire she's about to spit.

Roaring angrily, Taeyeon uses her tail to swat at the younger girl. Seohyun has no choice other than to let the berserker go unless she wants herself to be scorched by the blue flame at the end of Taeyeon's tail. The Dragon released one of her grips on Sooyoung's shoulder to catch Yuri's jaw, closing it and slammed the lioness to the ground. Between all the ruckus, Yoona slithered in her small snake form, almost unseen as she slips through her friends' feet and digs her fangs to Taeyeon's ankle.

A surprised jerk from Taeyeon was exploited well by the rulers, who all caught each one of Taeyeon's limbs to try to seize her. They struggle to keep Taeyeon down, but she was unwilling to yield and is moving frantically to try and wrenches her way out of the other Anihumans' death grip.

Outside the messy fight, Tiffany watches with cautious eyes. The Pegasus is still not fully recovered from her previous injuries, and she holds herself back as she knows that her participation would only hinder her fellow rulers' movements. Behind her, the three younger Anihumans are tense, waiting for the cue for them to intervene.

"Momo, Chaeyoung, Jihyo," Tiffany softly calls. She knows the three are listening intently so she continues. "Taeyeon has a weak spot on her body when she's in her Dragon form. The soft flesh just under the meeting of her collarbone scales and her chest plate. It's right on top of the junction of her throat. If you managed to put a hole on it, she won't instantly die but she won't be able to breathe fire anymore. I don't think she'll be able to transform into her animal form, so try to locate that in her human form. It might give you a leverage."

Chaeyoung nodded gratefully. "We will try, unnie."

Tiffany smiled. "I'm sorry for you to have to get your hands to this. Just stay here, we'll try to weaken her first. Maybe you don't have to get into the fight at all."

"Let's..." Momo licked her lips. She eyed the fight unraveling before her warily, nape hair raising in agitation. "Let's just hope."

Just then, a pained yell echoes on the battlefield as Taeyeon grabbed Seohyun by her neck, claws digging into skin until it draws blood as she slams the avian beast headfirst to the small snake gliding under their feet. Yoona cried out when she was crushed by Seohyun's beast form, immediately turned back human to prevent herself from being killed by her own friend. Still, the strong force from Taeyeon's arm pushed the younger girls' bodies hard to the point that Yoona's back made a shape on the ground. She flails under the Soshi maknae's unconscious body, but a shift on her back stopped her as she realizes that she broke a bone somewhere under.

Yoona knows an injury to her spinal cord could be fatal. She also feels a crepitation from the girl above her when she moves her arm, telling her that Seohyun is suffering from a mild neck injury. So she could only wrap an arm around Seohyun's now-human body, keeping her in place while cautiously watching the fight near her, hoping that Taeyeon won't be interested in the two incapacitated Anihumans.

Taeyeon's other claw caught Hyoyeon's long snout that was biting her left leg. Her arm flared in her black aura as she tears the crocodile's fangs from her calf, uncaring of her own ripped flesh that's pouring out blood. She forces Hyoyeon down, both claws taking hold of her clenched jaws, and with a remarkable power from a small woman like her, lifts the 9 meters length beast by her snout and throws her to the other lizard standing before her.

Sooyoung tried to catch her friend's body, but Hyoyeon was exactly her size but heavier, and she falls along her friend. Taeyeon uses the moment to leap at the two massive lizards with her arm lightening up in a black flare. Her power allows her to float above them, and she lets out a snarl as she makes a punching move, sending her power to hit the lesser Anihumans.

A loud blast could be heard from miles away when Taeyeon's power made contact with the ground, forming a wide crater with Sooyoung and Hyoyeon wrecked in the middle of the crater. She catches Yuri's grey aura before it made an impact to her body and she swerved, glaring at the lioness who is running in zigzag while shooting her aura balls.

The Dragon scoffed. She took a deep breath from her mouth, neck illuminated by a blue light as she prepares her fire breath, and roars. A trail of blue light was shot from Taeyeon's gaping mouth straight to Yuri's path. The lioness instinctively ducked, trying to protect herself from Taeyeon's scorching heat.

But the heat never reaches her as a white winged horse stands before her, wings stretched as a shield to both herself and the lioness. Yuri opened her eyes, nodding in gratitude to the pair of soft purple eyes curtained in pure white mane.

"Yul, step back," Tiffany huffed from her nose. "This is not your fight anymore. Treat the other."

Yuri blinked. She stares at her commander in disbelief then looked at Taeyeon, who has landed back on earth, glowering darkly. The Dragon's aura is growing in intensity, forming a shape of black fire-like substance dancing on her pale complexion. Her different colored eyes are focused on the Pegasus while her tail is curled on her feet.

The lioness was about to retort when a blaze of red was caught at her peripherals.

Taeyeon growled.

Behind Yuri, another creature growled back.

"Okay, fine," she sighs, already accepting the fact that the upcoming fight is no longer in her range of power. She nudged Tiffany's wing joint with her head to show her support. "Just remember to know when to stop. No death."

Tiffany nodded, smiling. "No death. Except Taetae's."

Yuri paused when she notices Tiffany's nickname to the berserk Dragon, but chooses not to address it and bows. She then runs back to the pile of her friends' bodies, save behind four massive column of white fur adorned with sharp claws.

After Yuri left, Tiffany looks up to the two beasts towering over her, both having a staring competition with the petite berserker from across the plain. The soft footsteps of padded paws stopped as an orange tiger stands beside her. Purple meets green as Tiffany steals a glance at Chaeyoung, who grinned and hunched her back to make her looks even bigger.

"Girls, this is going to be your first face-to-face combat with another Anihuman, a berserk Legend, nonetheless," Tiffany licked her lips, flapping her wings and stomped her forelegs to check her injury. Her left ankle still hurts like hell but she pushes through, ignoring the pain searing into her brain as she challenges Taeyeon with her hard gaze.

She heard Momo faintly muttering, "Second time," but she still continues. "Keep your guard up. Taeyeon will be extremely difficult to contain. Proceed with caution. I don't want to lose any of you today."

Chaeyoung bumped to her side, and Tiffany breathes out.

"Now!"

The Sabertooth tiger launched quick like a rocket at the very same time as Tiffany's leap to the air. Taeyeon crouched on all fours to meet Chaeyoung's advance right away. Being the bigger of the two, Chaeyoung easily flips Taeyeon to her back and dove to her neck. Taeyeon dodged and uses her claw to swat at the younger's shoulder.

Chaeyoung snarled when Taeyeon's tail swiped at her face. The tiger's whiskers caught fire from the tip of the Dragon's tail and she took a step back, pawing at her muzzle to stop the fire from burning her fur. Taeyeon to the chance to slap Chaeyoung's cheek, throwing the Sabertooth tiger away from her.

Thankfully, Jihyo was there to catch Chaeyoung's body. She flies around for a few moments, turning the feline in her claws until her legs are all downward and dropped the tiger, she herself diving to where Taeyeon stands. The seasoned Anihuman dodged Jihyo's swipe altogether with blocking one of Momo's tails with her own.

Taeyeon then runs fast on all four scaling Momo's extra limb. The vixen hissed angrily as she moves in a crazed pattern, whipping her tail back and forth to try to detach the Dragon's claws from her skin. Momo was unable to do so until Taeyeon reaches her hip. But before the Dragon could do anything, Tiffany swooped in and tackled Taeyeon's small body, flinging the small Anihuman's body back to the ground.

Chaeyoung is already waiting with her maw wide open. Taeyeon notices the tiger's presence and she skillfully flipped her body in the middle of the air, cheeks puffed before she spits a ball of fire from her mouth. The tiger moved back to dodge and she summoned her own aura, shooting a line of green light to her opponent.

Taeyeon landed on her feet and quickly rushes the younger Anihuman. They meet again in a dance of claws and fangs, both trying to injure one another. At times, Momo would help by using her tails to try and stab Taeyeon's petite figure, much to no avail. The Dragon is either too fast for her to catch or too strong for her to breaks her defense.

At one point of the fight, Tiffany turned human to aid Chaeyoung, gesturing to Momo and Jihyo to halt their help for she's about to engage Taeyeon in a hand to hand combat. Chaeyoung too, turned human and prepares her fists, as Taeyeon accepted almost instantly and pulled her arms back in a ready stance.

As the three were involved in their own fight, Jihyo carefully scans the Dragons's figure. She's trying to locate Taeyeon's weak point between all the flying punches and kicks. But no matter how hard she tries, she couldn't find the start of the blue glow in the Dragon's chest whenever she's breathing her fiery breath.

A shrill cry broke Jihyo's concentration. The Phoenix gasped when she sees Taeyeon gripping Tiffany's injured arm, twisting it forcefully to her back until Jihyo could see the ruler's shoulder joint popped out of her place. Taeyeon must have noticed Tiffany's weakness and used it against her. The Dragon released her grip, and without any mercy, she stabbed the Pegasus from her back using her pointed claws.

"Tiffany-unnie!" Chaeyoung's loud yell filled the empty plains. The black haired ruler falls to her knees, blood spewing from her mouth and from the holes in her midsection. Jihyo and Momo immediately turned into their human form, tackling Taeyeon away from their friend who has their senior in her arms.

But their worry makes them a vulnerable target, and Jihyo yowled in pain when Taeyeon bit her shoulder. Momo also yelped and let the Dragon go when her chest becomes an easy target to Taeyeon's knee. Taeyeon puts the two young Legends down with a single strike to their nape. Dizzy from her attacks, Momo and Jihyo couldn't stop Taeyeon from roaring a line of fire to Chaeyoung and Tiffany.

In a last, desperate action, Chaeyoung lays Tiffany aside to land a jab on the center of the Dragon's chest.

It puts her directly in the middle of Taeyeon's fire and she was burned. Both the tiger and the Dragon cried in pain, Chaeyoung because of the fire eating her fur away and Taeyeon because of the hard hit on her sternum that breaks the bone. Chaeyoung immediately rolled on the ground to try to kill the fire burning her alive. While Taeyeon took a few steps back, wheezing and holding her chest in pain and coughing red liquid.

The broken bone must have wounded her lungs, and the Dragon is having the trouble of simply breathing right now.

"Chaeyoung, shit!" once she's recovered from her dizziness, Momo approaches Chayeoung hastily. The fire had died, but the tiger was scorched badly and she has no more strength to stand up. Chaeyoung coughed, tears spilling from her eyes as she tries to withstand the pain. The effect of the Dragon's fire is immediate and quite fatal, giving the tiger third degrees burn all over her back. Some of her furs has even turned charcoal.

Momo waits no longer as she hauls both Chaeyoung and Tiffany to her arms, utilizing her super speed to zip across the plain, hoping she'll be able to reach Yuri in time so the two females won't be incapacitated for life.

Being left alone by her friend, Jihyo could only watch, in horror, as Taeyeon's pained wail turned angry fast.

And Jihyo could never be prepared for the time Taeyeon transforms.

The change is quick, as fast and as scary as the rumble of a landslide. The pitch black aura encapsulating Taeyeon exploded, sending shockwaves everywhere as it grows in size. A broken roar resounds as the Dragon's human body turned into a massive black blob similar to how an actual Dragon would look like. The head (or what it's supposed to be) is nothing more than a grey skull with bright red orbs moving freely in the eye hole. The start of the throat, where the jaws meet each other, is constantly glowing in pale blue light. The tail is still mostly similar, but it was now adorned with sharp spines along its ridge.

Jihyo gulped when she feels Momo arrived beside her, breathing heavily.

"Momo, if you want to say something, say it now."

Taeyeon lets out a harsh huff, along with a puff of smoke from between her teeth.

Momo was laughing nervously when she leaned to Jihyo. "I admit... you were right, Jihyo."

When Taeyeon turned her head to them, eyes devoid of any emotions, Momo and Jihyo glances at each other with a bitter smile etched on their face.

"We're going to fucking die."

_To be continued..._


	24. The Devil's Cry

Chapter 24

 

"I just couldn't believe–"

The loud whistling sound from the kettle rouses Sunny from her seat.

"–those idiots fearlessly challenge Taeyeon like that."

The Red Panda pours boiling water into three different cups, two filled with tea leaves and jasmine while the last one filled with chocolate powder.

"She's not invincible, no, but do any of them actually _think_ in what caliber does Taeyeon strength is?"

A chair dragged backward, making an ugly scraping sound on the floor.

"They're challenging death itself."

A sigh.

"She's strong, indeed," a soft voice answered Sunny as the owner put her cup back down. "But _two_ Legends. Wouldn't that be enough?"

Sunny smiled, shrugging as she sips her tea. "I don't know. You know her better than me. You decide."

A breathy laugh. "Fany was–and will always _is_ –Taeyeon's soulmate. She knows her better than any of us do. She may know to what extent Taeyeon's power is."

"I mean, not even her prodigy is able to put a dent in her power."

A childish giggle echoes in gratitude as the cup filled with chocolate was placed. Empty.

"Ah, I remember that girl. How is she now?"

The Red Panda reclined on her seat. "Stronger than ever. Not a Dragon, though, so she will never surpass Taeyeon in any way. But I think, she might become a valuable ally if we're to train our Legends. I noticed one of our girls is having a similar power with her."

"Similarity," a raised eyebrow acts as a warning to the small girl moving around restlessly on her seat. "Doesn't make her a good teacher. No matter how similar their powers are, a wrong step in any of the lessons might break the other's ability."

"Oh, don't worry," Sunny winked behind her cup to her companion. "She's smart enough not to destroy our candidate."

Another laugh. "But does _your_ candidate smart enough not to destroy herself?"

"By today's events? Nah, I don't think so."

The two giggled at each other, basking in each other's presence.

"They're here," Sunny suddenly stood up when she heard a door slammed open. She put her empty cup of tea on the table, smoothing her clothes and raised an eyebrow when her companion also stood. "You wait. I need to talk to them for a while."

"Okay," the Panda's guest sat back, grinning. She opens her arm to gesture a young girl to sit with her and the girl obeys.

Sunny smiled warmly at the tender moment when her companion strokes the young girls' hair lovingly. The streak of blonde on the girl's brown locks reminds Sunny of Dahyun's red and orange streaks before she evolved. Shaking her head, Sunny left the two to welcome her candidates.

She prepares herself for some yelling–

"SUNNY-UNNIE!"

–true enough. Six different voices bounced off of the castle walls. Sunny gazes at her younger pupils, providing a calm smile despite the apparent frustration on the girls' feature.

"Hello."

"Where are they?!" Jeongyeon strode to the Red Panda, stopping when Sunny raised her hand.

"Isn't it clear? They're chasing Taeyeon to the NML."

"Why are you so calm about this?!" Tzuyu yelled too. Her hands are balled into fists, one of its supporting Sana's sobbing figure. The phyton is curled on the eagle's side, clutching the taller girl's shirt tight until her knuckles turned white.

The petite ruler shrugged. "Well, what do you expect me to do? Cry?"

"You're supposed to help them!" Nayeon exclaimed while pulling her hair angrily.

Sunny's eyes grew dark when she stares at the oldest candidate. "Is that what you're about to do?"

"Of course!"

"And being a total nuisance? How very nice of you."

Hearing Sunny's words, the younger Anihumans are all stunned. Mina stuttered when she speaks, "What... do you mean by... being a nuisance?"

Humming, Sunny struts down the hall, eyeing her candidates attentively. "Do any of you know why Momo, Jihyo and Chaeyoung told you nothing?"

The younger Anihumans looked at each other before shaking their head shamefully. Sunny smirked as she returns to her previous spot. "It's because you're too weak."

Silence.

"Taeyeon is strong," Sunny continues, playing with the red strands crowning her head. "A Legend. So are Momo and Jihyo. Chaeyoung's a Special. A Sabertooth tiger, one of the stronger kinds. If you–all of you young, inexperienced, Rares and Commons–join in, not only will you become an easier target for Taeyeon, you'll also become a burden for them because they _have_ –actually, not really, but they'll do it anyway–to protect you."

Sunny sat on the throne as she rests her chin on her joined hands. "That was also the reason why I decided to stay. I _know_ my powers. I'm useless in an actual fight. I let my friends go with them because they know Taeyeon more, and they might be able to bring her down–despite the massive power gap and Yul and Yoong's status as Rares."

Dahyun gritted her teeth.

"Do you understand?"

"NO!"

The Red Panda raised her eyebrow when the Kangaroo exclaimed loudly. Dahyun has her aura leaking, forming a faint glow of orange around her petite body. She took a step forward before she speaks. "None of us are burdens to each other!"

Sunny just smiled, letting Dahyun do whatever.

"It might be like that for you, with all those hierarchical bullshit! But not with us! We're a team! A family! No matter what, we'll always be together! No matter what trouble, what predicament coming our way, we'll solve it together! Our power and our rank won't separate us! It binds us together! We have our own role and to fulfill it, we'll do it on our own. All nine of us!"

The senior Anihuman shook her head. "It doesn't look like your friends share the same mindset."

"Nonsense!" Dahyun stomped the ground. "They share it. I know they are! If any of them forget, then I'll take it to my own hands to smack some sense into their empty heads!"

At that point, Jeongyeon had hugged Dahyun to stop her from stomping around the throne room. The Kangaroo is still enraged, to say the least, but she did not reject Jeongyeon's embrace and stood still in the older Anihuman's firm hold.

"So you're still going to chase them, even if I try to stop you?" the ruler reclined on her seat.

"Yes, we will," Tzuyu answers without a hint of hesitation.

A sigh escaped Sunny's parted lips. She smiled warmly at the younger girls, then chuckled softly after she closed her eyes. "I told you they are persistent."

Hearing Sunny's words, the six Anihumans before her blinked in confusion. Nayeon was just about to ask to whom did Sunny talk to, but two pairs of footsteps stopped her from doing so. The heavy boots followed with the squeaky sounds of sports shoes resound on the throne room. The nearer they get, the more confusion grows in the younger Anihumans' mind.

"I don't doubt that," a soft, delicate feminine voice echoes from somewhere behind the massive throne. "They are what we're used to be, in a way."

The six younger Anihumans couldn't stop their gasps when a figure stepped into the light.

"Y-you are–"

The figure winked.

"May I ask you girls something?"

A small girl peeked from behind the female. Brown hair highlighted with blonde framing a face similar to her older guardian.

"Are you prepared for everything, if I do send you to the No Man's Land to aid your friends?"

The six young Anihumans need not to glance at each other when they nodded. "Yes."

"Alright," the woman with kind brown eyes licked her lips. She tapped the young girl hiding behind her once, gesturing for the girl to move forward.

"Let's go, B. We have a demon to tame."

###

"MO! LEFT!"

Momo snarled and swerved right as a black figure crashed to the ground. She was late, though, as Taeyeon's wing joint claw scratched her face, forming a red line across the vixen's furred cheek. Momo ignored the pain to bite at the Dragon's back. One of her claws pushed Taeyeon's head to the ground while the other blocked her tail from setting her fur on fire.

A jab on her side almost made Momo throws up. Taeyeon had elbowed her straight on the curvature of her ribcage, pressing her gut quickly and forcefully. The Dragon curled her body once Momo's grip on her head weakened, mauling the nine-tailed fox's open neck. But Taeyeon didn't manage to snap her opponent's throat when one of Momo's many tails coiled around her scaly neck and chokes her, pulling her fangs away from the white fur now adorned with red spots.

Jihyo took the moment to strike at Taeyeon, slamming her fiery body to the Dragon's side. Taeyeon staggered for a bit before she recovers almost instantly, tail swatting at the Phoenix to light the red flame with her blazing blue ones. An arm shots up to grip Momo's tail, stopping the limb from coiling even tighter to the slim neck supporting the Dragon's skull. Taeyeon ripped the tail away from her only to be jabbed on her waist by three others.

The Dragon was quick to wrench her way out of the vixen's entangling limbs, firing her breath to her two challengers. Momo was lucky because she's able to move in super speed to avoid Taeyeon's fire. Jihyo... not so much. Her wings caught the flare and her body–which was made entirely from fire–turned color from red to blue.

"Jihyo!" Momo called her friend in worry before she slammed her whole body to Taeyeon's larger one, halting the line of fire from the lizard's throat. She approaches her leader with one of her tails glowing white to try and heal the majestic avian with her barely-there medical knowledge.

However, Jihyo whined as the blue color tainting her wings disappeared, melted into purple then into the red she always wears. Momo took a sniff and blinked in awe.

"How could you do that?!"

The Phoenix shook her head frantically. "I don't know either!"

"You literally just absorbed her fire!" Momo sniffed again, purple eyes running back and forth from her friend to the black figure behind her, making sure Taeyeon won't attack in a short time. "Shit, Jihyo! How come you never told us about this power of yours?!"

Jihyo flew back a bit to avoid Momo's sniffing. "How could I when I, too, only know about that _now_?!"

A broken roar from their behind stopped their argument. Momo bared her fangs when her purple eyes meet Taeyeon's red ones. She licked her lips when she feels blood dripping from the wounds in her neck. The vixen notices the claw marks and bite marks on Taeyeon's scales, all given by her, but none of the wound is bloodied–unlike hers.

"Her scales are deadly tough!" Momo snarled as she raises her behind, preparing to pounce. "Guess I should bite harder!"

Channeling her power to her hind legs to give her a bigger boost, Momo leaped to the larger beast with her fangs glistening. Momo caught Taeyeon's lower jaw, digging her teeth to the bony structure as she pawed at the Dragon's chest plate, trying to inflict wound to the spot Tiffany mentioned to them before.

But Taeyeon's incomplete transformation made the spot obscured by her scales and it hinders Momo from giving a definite wound on her opponent. Momo stubbornly latches on even when Taeyeon's claws ripped her arm, pouring fresh blood to the already ground already painted red.

The Dragon's knees buckled when Jihyo crushed them from above, claws holding Taeyeon's shoulder blades as she stabs her beak to the top of the Dragon's head. Taeyeon roared angrily when she was being assaulted by the lesser Legends. She shakes her head in random motion while stepping backward, trying to unlatch Momo's teeth from her jaw and Jihyo's claws from her shoulders.

When she realizes that her efforts are futile, she spreads her wings and took off.

"Oh no! Jihyo!"

As the only flightless Legend, Momo could only jump up and down as she helplessly sees her friend taken into the air. Jihyo released her grip from Taeyeon's back once they reached the clouds. She flapped her wings to fly away from Taeyeon, but the Dragon is faster in turning her massive body and caught Jihyo's face in a backhanded slap.

Jihyo was given no time to recover as Taeyeon repeatedly hits her with her punches. The Phoenix has no limbs to defend herself from Taeyeon's relentless attacks, unlike the Dragon who has her wings to keep her afloat and her arms to fling some beatings.

It was clear from the very start that Taeyeon has every advantage in her hands. Without Momo's aid, Jihyo couldn't even block any of Taeyeon's strike, so the chance for her to land her own strike to the Dragon's figure is null. She could only accept Taeyeon's punches and kicks with her bare body with no means to fight back.

Watching her friend being beaten senseless is outright terrifying, Momo decided. The vixen walked in circles around the plain with her head facing up, anxiety bled through her every system as she watches Jihyo growing weaker by each passing seconds.

 

When the Phoenix could barely fly, Taeyeon gripped her face to look straight at the delirious golden orbs.

Jihyo felt one of Taeyeon's sharp claws trailing a line from her jaw to the center of her chest, where she presses, painfully, and if Jihyo's animal form was made from actual flesh and not flames, she knows she would certainly bleed.

**"Lost..."**

A rumbling sound from the Dragon's throat managed to catch Jihyo's attention at the brink of losing consciousness.

**"....poor....child."**

And Taeyeon throws Jihyo to the ground.

"JIHYOOOO!!!"

Momo's panicked voice was lost on the Phoenix as she falls, like a meteor from way above the atmosphere. Jihyo could only close her eyes. Her powers are all drained, weakened by the number of hits Taeyeon landed on her body, spirit giving up as darkness took over.

Far below, Momo watches in horror, as Jihyo going down in flames. The friction her body made with the atmosphere created a veil of fire around the Phoenix's body. Momo knows she's going to injure herself trying to catch Jihyo, but she also knows that her leader would die if she won't do anything.

"This is your damn idea, Hirai. Don't you dare running away with your tail between your legs," Momo whispered, snarling at herself. "I should have listened to Jihyo."

But regret always comes last, and Momo measures Jihyo's distance from the ground before she jumps.

The impact made by the Phoenix's body as she caught her with her whole body sent Momo flying. Embracing the smaller figure tightly, Momo cushioned Jihyo's fall as they rolled on the plain, bouncing off at times when Momo's back made contact with the ground. Her nine tails are all wrapped around them to save the Phoenix from a certain death.

The two only stopped moving when they reached the hill they came from earlier. Momo faintly hears Yuri's worried call from the top of the hill as she blinked her pain away. Her whole body shook violently when she tries to stand. Momo feels blood wetting her back and her whole left side, fur falling out and skin torn after being dragged across the plain. Her frontside is charred from her friend's flame, forming charcoal patches on her snow-white fur.

With an enormous effort, Momo managed to rise. She placed her paws on either side of Jihyo's body, exhaling in relief once she catches the subtle move of the Phoenix's chest.

Momo's ears were flattened in fear as a loud roar boomed from the skies.

Taeyeon was still as strong as ever with no visible wound on her scaly skin.

"God."

As Taeyeon snarled, the blue fire on her tail enlarges until it covers her whole body. She has now become a ball of fire on her own, with a pair of blazing red eyes staring from beneath the azure inferno.

Momo took a glance behind her, finding Yuri standing between all the unconscious Soshi Team's bodies and a panting, bandaged Chaeyoung, eyes full of despair.

The vixen sighed. "I'm so sorry for being a disaster bringer."

Taeyeon dives.

Momo turned. "Tell Byul-unnie I love her."

And she leaped over Jihyo's body, protecting her friends by meeting Taeyeon's diving body head-on.

Momo's skin was lightening up with her white aura as she intercepts Taeyeon's route, bravely stopping the Dragon by catching her shoulders with both her forelegs. The vixen stands tall on her hind legs, all nine tails supporting her by making makeshift pillars so she could withstand Taeyeon's power. Her white aura clashed with Taeyeon's blue fire when the two massive beasts collided, forming a shockwave that spans across the plain and destroyed everything in its path.

The vixen's knees buckled the harder Taeyeon presses on. Gritting her teeth, Momo gives her all to protect everyone behind her, even if it might cost her own life. She heard Taeyeon growl but she couldn't be even more careless. Her life flashes behind her eyes, the guilty feeling of dragging her friends into this deadly mess, the sadness of leaving the people she cares about behind, and the fear of dying, all jumbled up in her heart as her defense slowly crumbles.

Momo closes her eyes, reciting a prayer when a familiar howl cuts through her ears.

"MOMORING!"

The vixen opened her eyes.

"Mina?"

 

_To be continued..._


	25. The Touch of Heaven

Chapter 25

 

"I see them!"

Nayeon raised her head to the grey eagle flying above her. On her back is Sana, hugging the brown-blonde haired young girl from before while clutching her antlers tightly as they speed through the barren soil of the No Man's Land. Running behind Nayeon are her other friends, all in animal forms, racing with time to reach the fight between the beasts.

It was unknown how the woman they met earlier was able to teleport them all to the gates of the NML. The last Nayeon knew, they were standing in the throne room, and the next moment they were already inside the NML, with the young girl, Sunny and the woman both absent. Without wasting any more time, Tzuyu had flown in her eagle form to lead the other girls across the land. Her heightened eyesight was proven useful as she's able to catch the fight happening miles away.

"How much further, Tzu?" Jeongyeon shouted.

"About ten or fifteen miles– woah, look out!"

Just then, a harsh wind colored with white and blue blasted around them. The Anihumans all stopped, crouching to protect themselves from the debris carried by the wind.

Right after the wind stopped, Nayeon just barely recovered her footing when Mina dashed.

"It was Momoring's aura! She's in danger!" the she-wolf howled to her friends, leaving them behind as she kicked dust along the way.

The other quickly followed her. Mina somehow gained velocity as time passes, fueled by worry over her other canine counterpart. Blue sparks of her aura were fallen all over her path she took. It doesn't take long for her to finally able to see her friend, and her aquamarine eyes widened.

Momo's nine-tailed fox form is head to head against a black Dragonoid form, skin dripping blood, bravely holding the lizard from reaching the ground. Behind Momo's trembling hindlegs is Jihyo's Phoenix body, unconscious. Mina also saw Yuri holding Chaeyoung's hunched figure, but her focus was entirely on Momo as the vixen slowly being pushed to submission.

The only thing occurs to Mina's mind is how she should alert Momo. "MOMORING!"

She didn't expect the vixen to open her eyes, panting, surprised at her long howl and took a step back from the Dragon who also moved backward. "Mina?"

Mina screamed when the Dragon slashed Momo's face with her claws. "MOMORING! NO!"

The older Anihuman let out a pained yowl as she staggered, blood dripping from another wound on her cheek. Mina wanted to come to Momo, but the Dragon had turned its attention to the approaching team and roared, loudly it made Mina stopped. The Dragon then flapped her wings to attack the newly-arrived wolf.

It never reaches Mina as Momo jumped to the wolf, paw protectively tucking the smaller Anihuman into her chest as she falls to the ground, back facing the Dragon after she hit the Legendary beast with her whole body. Momo swiftly spun on her other three legs, still clutching Mina in her hold, and leaped to maul the Dragon's open throat.

She missed the Dragon as the larger beast moved back, then headbutted Momo with her skull head. Momo shook her head once to shed her dizziness and lashed her tails to the offending Anihuman.

When the Dragon decided not to fight the vixen further, Momo put Mina back on the ground and snarled.

"What are you doing here?!"

Mina bit the vixen's paw to show her anger, even when Momo couldn't feel it at all. "I'm here to save you! How could you leave without telling us about this?!"

"Wha–" Momo swallowed her words when she sees her other friends in her peripheral. "Holy shit you're all here!"

"HIRAI MOMO YOU BRAINLESS IDIOT!!!" Jeongyeon yelled and Momo cringed. "YOU'RE ON TO SOME THOROUGH ASS WHOOPING TONIGHT MOMO!"

"SON CHAEYOUNG YOU TOO ARE SO DEAD TO ME!!" Dahyun yelled as well, even when Chaeyoung could only wheeze in pain.

Answering the tiny Anihumans' yells is Taeyeon's roar. Momo whipped her head, growling at the Dragon. Taeyeon's fire veil has disappeared, but it doesn't make her less terrifying and she's certainly mad at her foiled attempt of killing her opponents. The white-furred vixen stepped over Mina, shielding the wolf behind her foreleg as she prepares herself for another physical scuffle with Taeyeon.

"You stay behind me," murmuring, Momo nudged the other canine softly. Her breath is coming in harsh huffs as the wounds and exhaustion take the toll on her body. "I'll do my best to protect you."

"No need for that, Hirai."

A foreign voice halted Momo's movement. Surprised, she blinked rapidly when a beautiful woman walked in front of her, placing herself between the two different colored beasts. What caught Momo's attention is her brown hair that shined blonde when the sunlight hits her in an angle. The woman is lean, clothed in a simple green shirt, tight jeans and a pair of boots. She winked at Momo who scrunched her nose, then turned her attention to the lioness gaping at her.

"It's been such a long time, Yul."

Yuri gasped. A lone tear escaped her eye as she covers her mouth with her hands. "N-no way..."

The woman smiled and looked at Taeyeon, who was staring at the woman with flashes of faint recognition in her red eyes.

"Hi, Taengoo."

Taeyeon growled.

"I left you for two eras and look at what you've become," the woman smiled wider, whipping her blondish locks over her shoulder. "A demon."

The Dragon roared but took a step back, seemingly hesitant.

The woman then turned to raise an eyebrow at Momo. "Kitsune."

Momo blinked, pointing at herself with her tail. "Me?"

"Yeah, you, who else?" the woman chuckled softly. "Are you up for the task of holding Taeyeon down? I need her to be stationary for at least ten seconds."

The vixen ripped her gaze from the woman to look at Taeyeon. The Dragon has somehow become silent, eyes boring to the blondish woman in caution. Taeyeon also grew tense as if she's feeling threatened by the woman's arrival. With a knowing look, the woman smiled wider and gestures for the young girl with blonde streaks on her hair to come closer.

Momo looked back, seeing her friends behind her and exhales. "I- I don't know if I'm... strong enough."

Another soft laugh. "You have nine tails for a reason, you know."

A pat on her paw made Momo look down. A Red Panda grinned at her before strutting away, approaching the still stunned lioness and nudged her.

"Sunny!" the woman beneath Momo called and the Panda looked over her shoulder. "Wake Fany. She should be awake if we're going to do this."

Sunny only giggled. "Sure. Just do whatever you're going to do."

A nod.

"So, Kitsune?"

Momo was startled when the woman addressed her again. Clearing her throat, Momo leaned her bloodied face closer to the small woman. "I'll... I'll try. But.. tell me who you are?"

The woman gave a soft smile to Momo. Her hand flew to touch the vixen's whiskers, running it over the fur matted with sticky red liquid.

"The name's Jessica."

Momo needs no more reassurance.

She lifted her head, lips pulled back as she shows her rows of sharp fangs to the Dragon. Momo let out a roar on her own, claws glinting through the soft expanse of fur of her paw. Taeyeon answered her roar before both beasts took off, meeting each other in a clash of claws and fangs.

Taeyeon caught Momo's nape with her fangs but Momo didn't relent. Utilizing her smaller stature, Momo ducked under Taeyeon's long neck and shot an aura ball to the Dragon's chest. The explosion as it meets Taeyeon's chest plate pushed the Dragon backward. Momo slapped her tail to Taeyeon's face, pushing her further before starting to use her claws to injure the Dragon.

Seeing Momo trying to overpower Taeyeon, Tzuyu flew into the fray and started shooting her own attacks to Taeyeon. It might not worth much, but it certainly annoys the Dragon as she tries to catch the small eagle into her mouth, but failed because of Tzuyu's size and Momo's relentless assault. The five other Anihumans helped her to create even more disturbance to the Dragon's focus.

Outside the fight, the young girl with the blonde streaks sat down. Jessica sat beside her, stroking the girl's long hair.

"B."

The girl smiled and nodded. "Ne."

After that, she closes her eyes and raised her hand, palm facing Taeyeon and Momo. Jessica took the cue to whistle loudly. Her whistle was surely heard by Momo because the vixen snarled, and her tails are all moving at the same time to grab Taeyeon's limbs.

Taeyeon snarled in anger as she feels arrested by Momo's many tails. Two coiling around her arms, two binding her legs together, three wrapped around her body to prevent herself from flying off, one keeping her tail in place while the last one creating a muzzle around Taeyeon's mouth.

Momo stood up on her hind legs again and thrown her arms around Taeyeon's shoulders, holding her close against her body to further hindering Taeyeon's movement. Taeyeon could only snarl as she thrashes wildly to try to free herself from Momo's grip. But the vixen is not giving up easily, despite her many wounds, and stubbornly presses Taeyeon until she's unable to move anymore.

"I can't hold her much longer!" she exclaimed loudly to the two figure at the top of the hill.

Her eyes caught Jessica nodding when a bright light enveloped them both. Momo gasped in surprise, looking down to the ground to see a massive magic circle swirling under their feet. The ancient magic circle is filled with runes and words Momo didn't understand, but she could see the shape of a flower looking vaguely like a lily flower. The flower shines pale–almost white–while the other parts of the magic circle emitting a violet glow.

Momo felt the Dragon in her embrace shakes as the light grew brighter. Taeyeon's breath grew laboured, and her claws gripped Momo's arms as a support as her powers slowly drained, absorbed by the magic circle. But the vixen herself is also weakened, falling to her knees while still holding Taeyeon. Her vision went blurry under the strong violet light and Momo started to feel lightheaded.

"Hirai!"

A voice belongs only to Tiffany Hwang snapped Momo from her stupor. She didn't realize since when did she turned back to her human body, but Tiffany yanked her collar and threw her outside the magic circle, replacing Momo's body with herself. The vixen Anihuman was caught by Tzuyu and Jeongyeon, who immediately laid her on top of Mina's lap.

"W-what's happ–" Momo gasped, wheezed at the feeling of being devoid of her strength, cringing at the pain all over her body as she fights to stay awake despite her vanishing power. But Mina shushed her and stroked her brown hair once, and it was enough to wipe out the remaining of Momo's willpower as she succumbs to the comfort of the darkness.

After Momo blacked out, Mina turned her attention to the magic circle still going strong.

**"Run devil, run."**

The small girl from before whispers. Her eyes are glowing rainbow, colors constantly shifting as her palm was illuminated by a pale yellow light.

**"Pohyoga dulryeo–"**

There's a long, pained cry from inside the magic circle.

**"–meottaero hae heorakalkke–"**

The violet light from the magic circle grew higher, creating a pillar of light into the sky following the crazed screams from inside it.

**"–mortem, nox."**

And suddenly, it all stopped.

The cries, the light, the glow from the girl's eyes, it stopped the moment she fisted her hand. Something about the abrupt stop seemed to froze the time, as everything stilled with not even a single thing, not even the air, moves. A second later, the girl collapsed into Jessica's waiting arms, and the clock started ticking again.

A breeze.

Soft.

And a gasp.

Softer.

Following the girl's condition, the pillar of light slowly crumbles and disappears, fading into the atmosphere until it was nothing more than simply a faint hue of purple in the skies.

When the hue cleared out enough, the only thing left is two women laying in the middle of the clearing.

"It's done," Jessica breathes out as Yuri dashed past her to the two unconscious figures. "Our work here... is done."

She then turned at the younger Anihumans, smiling. "You can go home."

"A-are you sure?" Jeongyeon asked carefully. She is carrying Jihyo's human body in her arms, keeping the younger girl close as she stepped forward, nearing Jessica. "Is it... is it truly done?"

Jessica shook her head. "No, not all."

She gazed at Yuri who returned with two bodies in her hold, one they recognize as Tiffany and the other one is a petite woman with black hair ends in blue tip. Sunny immediately ushered her, opening a gate and the two vanished into the swirling dimensional rift.

"There are... a lot of things I need to take care of."

Jessica speaks solemnly as she cradles the small girl within her embrace.

"And so are you."

Jeongyeon hugs Jihyo tighter, a gesture copied by Tzuyu who is carrying Chaeyoung and Mina and Sana who are hauling Momo.

"You have no idea how blessed we are to have you as our candidates."

The senior Anihuman smiled, bowed, and whispered softly.

"It's goodbye for now, Fated Ones."

And when Jeongyeon opened her eyes after a single blink, she was welcomed by the familiar view of Yongsun's front door. Along with the owner, who was watering her flower bushes and sent the nine younger girls a knowing smile, especially to her sisters Mina and Dahyun.

"I've told you."

Yongsun giggled, and Mina felt her power drained as she slipped from Sana's hold, letting Momo go as she falls to her knees.

"No matter what, you'll always be able to return home."

 

_To be continued..._


	26. Of Belief and Late-Night Confessions

Chapter 26

 

A soft knock on the door stole Yongsun's attention from the drama series running on the TV. Sighing, the 26 years old girl slid down from the couch, throwing the remote randomly as she approaches the front door. But after seeing the guest coming to her house, the girl lit up immediately and grinned.

"What brings you here, Byul?"

Standing in the doorway is the younger keeper, in her signature worn down jacket with a soft smile on her lips. Byulyi shifted her weight to one leg before she speaks. "So I heard my sisters are here?"

Nodding, Yongsun led Byulyi into her house. "Yeah, they were. But Mina kinda exploded about something and ran away from the house. Momo's chasing her. I think they went to the park."

"Okay," Byulyi shrugged her jacket off, casually placing it on the rack at the living room as if she's in her own house. "Jeongyeon?"

"Teaming up with Nayeon to beat Jihyo up."

Byulyi lets out a laugh at that. "Is it that bad?"

"Oh, I don't _personally_ know the gravity of the situation," Yongsun plopped back on the couch with Byulyi following close behind, the older of the two offering her snacks to the younger who accepts it gratefully. "But I guess.. it's pretty bad. They were beaten up badly. Nayeon and Sana had nurse Jihyo and Momo. Dahyun's still treating Chaeyoung in her room, right now."

The silver-haired girl nodded. "I see. Have you told Hyejin and Wheein?"

"I have. They still have another class until six so I guess the girls are going to stay a while longer."

As if on cue, Sana sauntered into the living room while bringing a bowl of popcorn, their Anihuman maknae in tow. The chipper phyton smiled when she recognizes Byulyi and sat down at the couch adjacent to the two keepers. "Yongsun-unnie, here!"

Sana gave Yongsun her bowl of popcorn after taking a handful for herself. She then turned to Byulyi, ignoring Tzuyu who curled beside her with her long arms circling Sana's waist. "Byul-unnie, hi! Looking for Jeong and Mo?"

Byulyi mirrored her smile. "I do. But I guess I could wait."

"Mhm!" Sana giggled and leaned to Tzuyu who already has her eyes closed in a quick slumber. "Momoring should really start learning from her mistake, though. She was about to get herself killed for the second time!"

There's a pause from Byulyi that Sana missed. "Did she?"

The phyton nodded as she devours her popcorns. "Yeah, unnie! You should really put some sense into her brain!"

Byulyi only exhaled. Slowly. "Of course."

###

Jihyo is kneeling.

"HOW COULD YOU?!"

The Phoenix has her forehead against the dirt of Yongsun's backyard.

"AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE SANE ONE IN THE GROUP!!!"

She was silent throughout Nayeon's and Jeongyeon's yellings.

"WHOSE IDEA WAS THAT?!"

This time, she lifted her face quickly. "IT WAS MOMO I SWEAR _._ "

"But you–" Nayeon jabbed a finger to the younger's nose until Jihyo yelped. "–accepted it!"

" _THEY_ THREATENED ME–"

" _YOU_ ARE THEIR LEADER!" Jeongyeon cuts Jihyo's words easily. The Kodiak bear is walking in circles surrounding Jihyo, arms crossed over her chest with her eyes blazing with fury and disappointment. " _You_ were supposed to steer them into the right way when they started to go astray. _You_ were the one supposed to make the call! _You_ shouldn't let _them_ threaten you!"

"Or at the very least," Nayeon adds, softer than her earlier sentences. "Tell us. Don't jump into the danger all on your own. We're a team, don't we, Jihyo?"

Having nothing else to say, Jihyo opted to return to her previous position. "I'm sorry."

"You understand now?"

"Yes, I won't do that anymore."

Jeongyeon huffed and sat down beside Jihyo, draping her arm over the Phoenix's shoulder. "We were afraid."

Jihyo keeps her silence even when Jeongyeon pulled her up and Nayeon wrapped her arms around the girl's smaller stature. "We thought you might die."

Sensing warmth from the two figures she always regards as her own elder sisters, Jihyo gave in and snuggled into Nayeon's embrace. Her hands gripped the deer's shirt tight as she buries her face to the nook of elder's neck. Nayeon sighs and she raised her hand to caress Jihyo's red hair, eyes focused on Jeongyeon as they communicate silently.

"Jihyo, look," the bear called, making the younger to turn her head towards her. "We're sorry we were angry at you. But I hope you understand. You always are. We were afraid that your escapades will end in your death. Especially with what... Momo went through two eras ago. And I also hope that, from now on, no matter what, you'll tell us _everything_ so we can solve it together. Got it?"

Jihyo nodded. "Yes, unnie."

Nayeon chuckled and bumped her forehead to Jihyo's cheek. "With that said... I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad, too," the Phoenix finally smiles, closing her eyes contently. "I learned my lessons. Back at the NML, I myself was afraid that I'm going to die. I can't fight her, like, at all, and the only thing I could do is surrender."

"Taeyeon-sshi _is_ hella strong," the silver-haired girl commented.

"Oh, you bet she is," Jihyo exhales as she pulled back from her members' hold. "But... was our expedition successful? Or was everything a waste?"

"We don't know for sure. I mean, Taeyeon-sshi turned human, but... we don't know. Jessica-sshi said she'll take care of the rest, though."

"Wait," Jihyo sat up straight. "Jessica-sshi? She's back?"

The oldest of the three nodded. "She is. And she's bringing her... what, daughter? I mean, it's kinda impossible because that girl is probably older than 10 but they look similar as fuck."

"Oh, wow," the youngest was awed. "Holy shit, Momo's trash talk about 'fate' is accurate."

"Fate?"

"Yeah," Jihyo nodded, her face serious. "Momo told me something about 'fate' and 'a greater force' before we went to the NML. She said she knows that the expedition will never fail because this is what 'fate' has decided for us. I was skeptical as hell because she started talking about Jessica-sshi returning back to the SM Region and some other bullshit... but, hey, there she goes being ominously correct."

There was silence for a full minute until Jeongyeon gasped.

"That twat is a fucking God."

###

Chaeyoung groaned as she finally opens her eyes, squinting at the bright light assaulting her vision. Her entire body still feels like it's broken in one way or another. She tried to shift to feel her surrounding, but the sharp pain on her back stopped her. The Sabertooth tiger regulates her breathing as she recalled the event that leads to her bedrest when a familiar scent entered her nostrils.

"Dubu..?"

Silence. Chaeyoung gave up on the first try to move her head around.

"Dubu are you there?"

Still silence. Chaeyoung groaned again, her scorched back starting to make itself known by the sheer amount of pain she's enduring right now.

"Dubu, please I– I need you."

There's a shuffling sound from the bed across hers followed by a hand grasping her uninjured hand. Chaeyoung gripped the soft palm by instinct, forcing herself to move so she could take in the view of her friend. But Dahyun runs her other hand over Chaeyoung's hair and the tiger sighed in contentment, happy enough despite unable to see her friend clearly.

"Does it hurt?"

Dahyun asked, very faintly Chaeyoung almost missed it.

"It is," rubbing her thumb over what she thinks is Dahyun's index finger, Chaeyoung smiled. "Better now."

The caress on her hair disappeared, replaced by fleeting touches on her upper arm, still mildly painful despite the bandages covering it. "Does this hurt?"

"Not as much as my back," Chaeyoung answered honestly.

More silence.

Then warmth, from the dark orange aura pressed over her wounds.

"I'm sorry," Dahyun whispered again, her power slowly mending the skin corroded by Taeyeon's fire. "I'm not skillful enough to heal you."

"It's fine. It's enough for me," the younger of the two smiled. The warmth from Dahyun's power slowly soothes her pain and she's grateful for that. The faint buzzing of Dahyun's healing aura lulls Chaeyoung back to sleep, but a hitch on the wave of power around her wounds made her opened her eyes.

"Dubu, it's enough. You can stop."

Chaeyoung notices the laboured breathing from the older Anihuman as she speaks, "Not yet. You have not patched up well."

"Dubu, no, stop," already strong enough to lift her arm without feeling extreme pain, Chaeyoung gripped the kangaroo's wrist and pulled her lightly. "You're clearly tired. I'm fine for now. I'll heal in no time. My skin is closed already. Just a few more hours and I'll be as good as new."

"But–"

"Please," Chaeyoung insisted. She waits until the arm in her grip went slack, until Dahyun sighs, until the warmth from the older's power left her. Chaeyoung exhaled in relief over her friend's obedience. But her injuries made her weak, and she soon shivered as cold washes over her lithe body.

"Can you hug me?"

Dahyun was hesitating. "How?"

"Lay on top of me," the tiger grinned. "Let me hug you."

"No, I–" a pause. "My weight might cause your back to hurt again."

"Please, Dubu," resorting to whining, Chaeyoung tugged Dahyun's wrist repeatedly to chip her resolve apart. "Please, for me?"

Chaeyoung heard nothing from her companion for a few seconds until she shifts. Dahyun carefully hovers on top of the smaller Anihuman, worried over crushing her injured friend as she slowly lowers herself. When Dahyun fully settles, ear pressed over Chaeyoung's sternum, the tiger let out happy voices and she wrapped her arms around the older's back.

There is a dull throb on her back but Chaeyoung blissfully ignored it for the sake of cuddling with her friend.

"Does it still hurt?"

The tiger shook her head. "Nope. Not at all."

"Okay," Dahyun breathes out. Her fingers play with the ashen end of Chaeyoung's almost black locks. "Your hair was burnt."

"Is it?" Chaeyoung hummed. "I'll cut it tomorrow, then."

"What were you thinking?"

"What?"

The kangaroo sighed. "Putting yourself into danger like that. Without telling us. If you told us, we'll help, you know?"

Chaeyoung mulls over her thought. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"That's stupid."

"Yes, now I realize it _was_ stupid," the younger smiled, finding Dahyun's hair and started twirling it. "I'm sorry. Not gonna do that again."

Chaeyoung felt Dahyun nodded against her chest and she found herself grinning giddily as her apology was accepted. Dahyun said nothing after that, opting to silently play with Chaeyoung's hair, listening to the steady beat of the younger's heart under her ribcage. Chaeyoung too, slowly drifted off to sleep, accompanied by Dahyun's regular breathing and the dull throb on her spine.

"Don't leave me," the tiger suddenly said after she yawned. "Stay. Even when I fall asleep. Stay with me until tomorrow morning."

Dahyun nodded. "Okay."

And Chaeyoung blissfully slumbers, a wide smile on her lips as she keeps Dahyun within her arms along with her dream.

###

"MITANG CAN'T YOU PLEASE TALK TO ME?!"

"WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT!!"

"I HAVE AN EXPLANATION!!"

"WELL I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN!"

Meanwhile, at the park near Wheein's house are two canine Anihumans yelling at each other. Mina is walking in hurried steps across the ground littered with fallen red leaves–a sign of the upcoming autumn–with Momo following closely behind, wailing sadly because of the younger's dismissal.

Momo's been chasing Mina around the park since the moment she's strong enough to walk. The she-wolf was missing from the house when Momo woke up. Already knowing Mina's behaviour when the younger Anihuman is upset, the vixen followed her by her scent to the park, only to find her crying silently, crouching under a tree. Momo had intended to calm Mina, but the black-haired Anihuman yelled at her and started running again.

"Mitaaaang," the vixen called tiredly, for they have circled the park for more than twice already. "Please, tell me what made you upset??"

Mina only shook her head, huffing, ignoring Momo as she continues her walk. She heard a grumble from behind her, then a telltale sound of ' _zip_ ' as the vixen super speeds her way in front of the younger. Mina stopped, glaring at Momo who appeared right before her.

Blue meets purple as the two emit their power in aggression. After a while, the owner of the blue sighed in annoyance, knowing she has no means to challenge a Legend on her own.

"Mitang," Momo called again, reaching for Mina's wrist but got swatted quickly. She scowled but inhales to stop herself from snapping at her friend. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? You're clearly upset with me and you cried earlier, but you didn't bother to tell me what's wrong! I don't understand, Mitang, come on. Tell me what did I do that made you upset?"

"You don't understand?!" Mina snarled. "Well tell you _what_? If you really want to die badly, then– just– just die already! I don't care anymore!"

Hearing Mina's words, Momo blinked in confusion. "W-what?"

"Stop throwing your life away carelessly!" the she-wolf continues, rambling madly as she walks in circles with her arms flailing around in exasperation. "You– you jerk! Stop acting like a hero everytime we're in a predicament! You and your tendencies to sacrifice yourself– I hate it! You're not invincible! Stop– just please, stop– fucking around with death like that!"

Momo was taken-aback by the sheer amount of emotion Mina is spewing with her sentences, but Mina is not done.

"Don't you know how hard it is for me to see you get hurt, huh?! To see you carelessly, stupidly, fucking willingly places yourself in front of the danger for others?! Fucking around with my feelings like– like– oh, you know what? Fuck you. Fuck you for being like this! You always make me so fucking worried and anxious whether you're going to stay alive whenever you throw yourself into death's jaw but you never fucking care! Never fucking care about ME!!"

The number of profanities Mina said almost made Momo caught seizures.

"FINE, THEN! If you're going to continue fucking with everyone and everything then fuck you! Fuck the world, fuck SMR, fuck everyone and fuck _me_ as well if that's what you're going to do for the rest of your life!"

"Is that a request or a–"

Mina threw a twig to Momo's face.

"You goddamn jerk! I swear I fucking– I hate you! I hate you with every inch of my being and for every reason I'm alive I swear to the fucking God I hate the fucking shit outta your ass, you uncultured swine! You should have just walked out of my life I don't want to see you ever again you goddamn–"

Mina was never able to finish her monologue when Momo pulled her into a hug, gripping the back of Mina's head to keep her face crushed into the older Anihuman's chest. The she-wolf snarled as she hits Momo's arm to try to wrench her way out of the vixen's embrace. But then Momo tightened her hold, burying her face to Mina's hair, whispering softly into the younger's ear.

"I'm sorry..."

Only by then did Mina realizes the flooding wetness on her cheeks.

"Mitang, I'm sorry," Momo mumbled again, stroking the black locks crowning the younger's head.

The first sob escapes Mina's trembling lips as she repeatedly hitting her fists to Momo's figure. "I hate you! I– I hate you, Momoring I– I–"

She feels Momo nuzzling her neck when she finally weeps openly. "I– you've never– you don't understand –sob– how it feels when I see you– when I don't know whether you'll come back home or not! You– I– I care about you!"

Momo sighed and she strokes Mina's back, listening intently to the younger's wailing.

"Stop– stop sacrificing yourself, I beg of you. You have... you have people that care about you and– and if you didn't return it's– it's hurt and I don't want to–"

The black-haired Anihuman breaks, crying her heart out as she gripped the back of Momo's shirt tightly. She doesn't care about how she ruined Momo's frontside with her tears and her snot, how they're standing in the middle of an empty park minutes away from dusk, how her feet ached by the amount of running she'd done today. She only cares about the warmth from the figure embracing her, about the soft reassurance whispered into her ear and the comfort of the palm rubbing along her spine.

"I don't want to be left behind anymore..."

Momo shook her head. "I won't, Mitang."

Mina sobbed. "Liar."

"No," the older of the two released the younger from her hold, wiping Mina's tears with her thumbs. "I promise I won't. I'm never going to leave you anymore."

Soft hiccuping sounds reverberated from Mina's throat as she searches her companion's eyes for reassurance. "...promise?"

The vixen pulled the she-wolf into her embrace once more.

"Cross my heart."

###

Byulyi ends up staying the night. Jeongyeon refused to go home while Momo decided she'll stay until morning comes, and the silver-haired keeper is unwilling to leave her sisters alone. Especially with the light rain pouring from the skies.

The other Anihumans are also staying. Hyejin called earlier, offering to hail a cab to fetch her sisters because she and Wheein were caught in a sudden, late-night assignment, and they have no other choice than to spend the night at the campus library. Sana refused because she knows that Chaeyoung is already swimming in the dream world with Dahyun on top of her, also snoring. The phyton knows that her keeper-mate needs her rest, so she opted to curl herself on the couch.

Tzuyu and Nayeon saw no profit in coming back home without Wheein, so they stay also. Tzuyu immediately notices Sana's sleeping form and drew a blanket from Yongsun's cupboard, wrapping Sana with it then tucked herself into the same blanket, head resting on the phyton's waist.

Jeongyeon slept on the empty space on the living room in her bear form, with Nayeon draped over her belly. Jihyo was also with them, caught in a headlock by the Kodiak bear's furry arm but managed to fall asleep as well.

Yongsun went to bed early because she still has work tomorrow. She offered Byulyi to sleep with her, but the younger keeper refused as she found herself a vacant bed (supposed to be Jihyo's) between Dahyun's and Mina's. The wolf herself is wrapped under a blanket with Momo sleeping in a sitting position, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned on the side of Mina's bed.

But when Byulyi was about to fall asleep, Momo's hoarse voice nearly made her jumped out of her skin.

"Unnie."

"Momo holy shit, you surprised me."

The vixen grinned. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," Byulyi laid herself on the bed, propping her head with her arm to look at her younger sister. "I was meaning to talk to you, anyway."

"About?"

"About what I said," the keeper sighed as she ruffles her hair. "I shouldn't have said that. I put you in danger. I put... all of you in danger. Look, Momo you shouldn't take anything by its face value. Try to look over things carefully. And please, stop jumping into dangerous situations on your own."

Momo nodded as Byulyi talks, only speaking once the keeper stopped. "I know that. I was the one taking your words literally, unnie, but that's because I understand that... yes, that was exactly what we're fated to do."

"Momo..."

"Unnie, I understand that I had put myself and my friends in a terrible danger, but–" Momo grinned again. "This is what we are. And your words made me realize, that, I'm able. I might not be strong enough but... fate has its own way. I chose to believe, that everything happened today is by God's hands playing us around. I chose to believe in fate, in you, in myself, in my friends, and _this_ is what I believed in."

The brunette was smiling the whole time she talks, and her eyes brightly lit up in determination. "I apologize for the mess that was today, but I'm not going to apologize for believing. Especially because my belief was right."

A pause for a moment as Byulyi thinks over her sister's words.

"So... Kim Taeyeon has finally returned to the Silver Moon Region?"

"She has," nodding, Momo raised her thumbs up to her keeper. "But as we are, they need time to recuperate. Maybe tomorrow or the day after, I'll ask the other to pay them a visit."

Byulyi finally gave in, reciprocating her sister's smile and it made Momo's grin wider.

"Okay, I won't say anything about that to you again."

Momo pumped her fist, succeeded.

"I'm glad you guys are okay."

"Me too," Momo hummed. "But now I can't help to wonder... how are the rulers? I hope they are all okay. I hope Taeyeon-sshi is able to return to sanity."

Byulyi smiled. "I hope so, too."

 

_To be continued..._


	27. The Falcon and The Dragoness

Chapter 27

 

"Sensei, do I really need to meet her?"

Jessica stopped on her track at the worried voice behind her. She smiled, bending her knees to level herself with the young girl following her and strokes her hair. The girl pouts, though she still leans herself to the older Anihuman's soft touch.

"Why, are you afraid?"

The girl is hesitating as she meets the elder's eyes. "Won't she be angry at me?"

Jessica shook her head. "If anything, she'd be grateful at you."

"Will she, really?" a shudder went through the girl's small body. "She was sooo scary back then! Isn't she scary now, too?"

That earns a laugh from Jessica. "Oh, don't worry! Taeyeon's the sweetest person you'll ever meet. Besides, if she tries anything funny you can just re-seal her again and she'll be knocked out for good."

Seeing that her pupil only lowers her head, Jessica pulled the younger Anihuman into a hug and places a soft kiss to her temple. "It's alright. I'm with you. We'll be fine."

After she's sure that the young girl won't object any longer, Jessica took the girl's hand in hers, rubbing calming circles to her knuckles and tugs the girl with her. Silence engulfed them as they walk the corridors of the Silver Moon castle, intact until they arrive at a massive door adorned with gold. Jessica knocked twice to announce her arrival, and as a soft voice answered her, she slowly pushes the door open with her free hand.

Taking the sight bared before her, Jessica can't help the fond sigh to escape her parted lips. Her eyes twinkle in longing and her heart aches but she also can't help the snark that formed in her mind.

"So this is how a dying lizard looks like."

"Shut up, you."

Propped with pillows on the bed across the room is a pale, thin, sickly small woman. There are tubes connecting her body to the various medical machines around her. The IV fluid drips in a leisure pace, following the steady beeping sound of the heart monitor on the bedside shelf. The bubbles of oxygen add echoes to fill the wide room. The woman, despite her words, smiled weakly at the two approaching females. She forces her arm to comb her disheveled black-blue locks behind her ear, uncovering two calm green orbs shining in delight.

"It's been a while, Sica-ah," the woman raised her hand to Jessica's direction. The avian Anihuman caught her message quickly and she intertwined their fingers together, relishing in the way the woman before her laughs tiredly.

"It's been a while, indeed, Taengoo."

Taeyeon laughs again, then coughs because her lungs aren't strong enough to support her after her two eras romp. But she keeps her smile even after quite a violent cough tore through and grips Jessica's hand harder. She closes her eyes for a few minutes, letting her two visitors settle on the chairs littered around her bed.

"Thank you," the Dragon whispers after a while, voice not much louder than the machine sounds surrounding her.

Jessica leaned closer. "What for?"

"You saved my life," Taeyeon opens her eyes, and the calm green from before changed to honey-like golden, mirroring her appreciative and grateful heart. "Words are not enough to express how much it means to me."

"I simply did what I have to do," Jessica smiles. Her other hand reaches back to the young girl curiously (and slightly fearfully) watching the two women interact with each other. The girl yelped when Jessica pulled her to the spotlight, immediately bowing to Taeyeon who raises her eyebrows. "And truthfully, I was not the one saving your ass back then."

The Dragon smiles knowingly. She unlatches her fingers from Jessica's to touch the young girl's cheek, gesturing for her to raise her head. She smiles wider when the girl looks at her with a terrified stare, obviously afraid of her power despite her current condition. "Don't be afraid. I won't bite."

The girl nods hurriedly, seemingly eased at the way the Dragon touches her softly and the way she smiles. The color in Taeyeon's eyes swirls into brilliant blue as her happiness soar at the young girl's reaction to her. Tapping the girl's cheek softly, Taeyeon chuckles.

"What's your name?"

The girl beamed. "Jung SinB."

Taeyeon did not miss the eye-roll from Jessica. But she chose to ignore it to focus fully on the girl with the black-blonde hair. "You are really strong. I could not convey how much I am grateful to you for the thing you've done to me. You saved my life. For that, I am eternally indebted to you. There's nothing I could do to pay you back for the life you've given to me."

SinB looks at Jessica, apparently not understanding the gravity of Taeyeon's sentence. But Jessica only raises her eyebrows and snickers, so SinB turned to Taeyeon with a pout. "You're saying such big words. I don't understand. But I'm glad that you're okay. Sica-sensei's happy so I'm happy for you both."

"Your happiness is mine, SinB," Taeyeon giggles, and it somehow sparked SinB's giggle as well.

Just then, Jessica runs her hand through SinB's hair, catching the younger girl's attention. "Told'ya she's not scary."

SinB beamed and giggled to Taeyeon. "She's not. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, a lot of people do think that I am scary when all they've seen is my Dragon form," Taeyeon chuckles. She caught Jessica making a strange look at her and immediately understands, patting SinB's head for more than necessary. "Hey, SinB. As much as I would like to talk to you... can you give us some private time? I need to talk with Jessica."

The young girl seems crestfallen at that, for she genuinely grows to like Taeyeon, but she nods nonetheless. "Okay. I'll be outside with Sunny-sshi."

She then walks back to the hall, waving before she completely vanishes and closes the door with a soft click. The two Anihumans left did not need to strain their ears to listen to the hurried footsteps behind the closed door, only heaving a sigh when the squeaks of sports shoes disappeared for good.

"Sensei?" Taeyeon was the first to restart their conversation, blue eyes had changed into mischievous orange as Jessica shook her head.

"I don't know how she's so hellbent on calling me that. Saying that 'Seongsaenim' is too damn long for her liking."

"It is quite long, yes. My students refused to call me that, too," the Dragon smiles. "I'm quite surprised that the renowned Ice Princess Jessica Jung Sooyeon found and decided to take an apprentice."

"I didn't," Jessica shook her head, eliciting a confused 'oh?' from the woman before her. " _She_ found me. It was also not my decision to take Eunbi with me."

Taeyeon raised her eyebrows. "Eunbi?"

It took a few seconds for Jessica to realize her mistake. "Whoops, forgot to tell you. Her real name was not Jung SinB. It was Hwang Eunbi."

"Why did she change her name?"

Jessica shrugged. "She said she wants to have my surname as her surname and that she hates the word Eunbi with burning passion. She was also stubborn on wanting a name similar to mine so we kinda settled on SinB."

"That's cute," giggling, the Dragon once again found her grip on Jessica's hand. "She takes a lot from you."

"I get that people are saying that we look similar but honestly?" the avian Anihuman just sighs. "She's so not like me. She's stubborn, impish, beyond annoying and it's outright exhausting having to deal with her for even only a day."

"Yet you put up with her," Taeyeon smiles again. Eyes once again changing into knowing pink at her companion's smirk.

"You know, the only thing I'm grateful for your ever-changing eyes is that because those mirrors your heart without fail," the falcon stated easily, leaning back to her seat with her hand not leaving Taeyeon's.

"Well I don't need your eyes to change colors because I could understand your feelings already."

"Ass."

"Don't have any. Too skinny now."

The two laugh, easily drifting into the flow they were before the life-changing event two eras ago. Taeyeon and Jessica, Jessica and Taeyeon, best friends, partners, and even more so than that, simply enjoying each others' presence. Taeyeon's eyes were warm as they meet Jessica's gaze, and the Dragon giggles when the falcon grins at her.

"I miss you."

"No. _We_ miss you, idiot. You were basically mindless for the last two years."

Taeyeon nods. "You're right."

"I always am."

"Ass."

"Bigger than yours, apparently."

It exhausts her whole energy to flick her fingers to the younger girl's forehead, but the tiny yelp made by Jessica worth every hassle.

"You haven't told me how you met SinB."

"Honestly?" Jessica sighs, settling further to her seat in a comfortable position. She feels the Dragon's curious yellow follows her and closes her eyes. "Do you know about the civil war happened at the border of EXO and BTS region? It stopped last era but I guess you at least know about it because it spans for three whole eras."

Taeyeon nodded. "I remember. It was because of the terrorist organization from outside the K-continent, am I right?"

"Yes," confirming, Jessica hummed to recall the events happening at the border. "Okay, so when the council exiled me, I decided that I might as well use the banishment to take a look over other regions anonymously. At least, well, until one of BoA-sshi's henchmen found me strolling the EXO region hunting for some food. They chased me out of the region and I was driven to the border between EXO and BTS, because apparently that was the nearest K-con exit gate from where I was standing. But then I passed the border, and those hunters stopped following me. I thought I lost them but then, bam! Civil war happening."

Taeyeon listens with rapt attention, a bit pained because she knows that her friend has to went through that because of her.

"I kinda got caught in one of the skirmishes between the citizens at the border. Though I snapped out of it fast and I was just– hell, nah, ain't gonna got into this mess again. So I sneaked out of the battlefield to the exit gate. I was just trying to pass the border unharmed and unnoticed when I saw her."

"SinB?"

The falcon nodded. "She– I don't know what happened, but she was just... _there_. You know. Sticking out like a sore thumb. People– those who were fighting, ignored her completely. Even when she was literally standing in the middle of the battlefield. I remember her clearly, looking so lost yet also so very calm, staring at me as if she was waiting. Waiting for _me_ to approach _her_."

Jessica paused for a while. "So I did. I went to her, asking if she was okay. I thought she was looking for her parents because, well, what else would a child do in a war? Either her parents dead or she was someone scouted right from child-slavery. But you know what? The moment I met her eyes, it was– I was at lost for words, that day. Her eyes are usually brown, but that day... it was the color of the rainbow, always swirling dizzyingly– just like yours, but, more... peculiar. She took my hand, saying things like _'we've been waiting'_ , and the moment I tried to run away, I blacked out."

Taeyeon shifted, careful of the tubes on her body to prop herself on her free arm. "What happened?"

"I know my story so far is beyond confusing, but prepare yourself because it's going to be even outrageous from now on," grimacing, the falcon started rubbing circles on Taeyeon's knuckles. "When I woke up, I was literally floating, surrounded by clouds all around me."

"No kidding."

"It's true, Taengoo! You won't believe me when I say but then a man came to me and told me that they've been waiting for my arrival! You won't understand just how confused I was that day. And even more so when that man introduced himself–" Jessica took a deep breath, as if preparing herself for some mind-blowing revelation. "–as Eric Mun."

"Eric..." Taeyeon gasps. "No way."

"Yes way."

Taeyeon looks appalled, unbelieving as she reclines on her bed. "But... but he is supposed to be–"

"Mythical, I know," Jessica nods, hurriedly, trying to convince Taeyeon about her extraordinary tale. "But real. I promise you, Taengoo. It's real. The Shinhwa Region is real, Eric Mun is real, it was no myth. SinB is the living proof of it. She's Eric Mun's youngest daughter who he wishes to journey the Ani-world."

"But how? Why?" Taeyeon pauses. "Why you? Why us?"

"Because we are the current strongest ruler in the whole Ani-world," the falcon explains grimly. "They've been watching us for a long time. They were the one doing this to all of us. They were the one who convinced Mistral to use the Saeva poison to destroy you. _They_ gave it to them, Taengoo! _They_ were the one who made you berserk!"

Taeyeon was beyond horrified.

"So I went berserk, almost killing all of you, making Tiffany suffer because of my excess power, having you banished from the K-con.... all because some kind of a demigod wanted his daughter to... descends to the Aniworld."

"Indeed."

"Does the other know?"

"Eric only allowed me to tell this to you. Who knows what he would do if I disobey him. I ain't gonna challenge a myth like him."

The Dragon nods.

"Okay."

A sigh.

"Okay."

"You can't imagine how angry I was that day," shaking her head, Jessica tightens her grip on Taeyeon's hand who solemnly closes her eyes. "If only I was strong enough, I would have ripped his face off. Then he told me that _he_ and his fellow Shinhwa ruler deemed me worthy to take his daughter down. I refused, of course. I mean, why the hell should I accept? They destroyed us, for fuck's sake!"

Taeyeon only scoffs.

"But, yeah, mere mortal like me can't have any words with them. One moment I had his collar in my fist, the next moment, I'm back at the battlefield with only SinB staring confusedly at me," Jessica sighs again, heavier this time. "I... I have had half a heart to leave her alone, Taengoo. To let her die and rot at the border of EXO-BTS Region."

A soft rubbing on her palm surprised Jessica. She cast a glance to the Dragon who only smiles a knowing smile with the hue of pink returned to her eyes.

"But you didn't."

Jessica let out a strangled moan. "She was nine, Taengoo. NINE. And when I asked her _why_ , she didn't know. All she know was that her father wanted her to leave their region, to live down here, with us, with _me_ , until the day she die."

"So she was... in a word, banished as well."

"Sadly? Yes," the falcon nods, her expression gloomy. "I can't leave her alone once I know that, Taengoo. I still hate her and the Shinhwa Region, though, so I kinda ignore her even if I let her follows me around. She hates me when she first arrived, too, mostly because she was saddened by the fact that she was forced to leave her home."

Taeyeon hums. "What made you warmed up to her?"

"Exposure, I guess?" Jessica shrugged. "I spent my days with her and her alone. If I want to talk to someone, the only one I could talk to was her. So I... we... somehow warmed up to each other. I made her my support, and so was she. We depended on each other. There was no one else for us. So we decided that we should try to become at least associates. I taught her to survive, so she won't be a burden to me if we were forced to fight other Anihumans. Time passed, though, and along the way we became so used to each other to the point of her starting to ask to change her surname to mine and calling me sensei."

"And for you to think of her as your apprentice," smiling, the Dragon has her eyes turning to crescent when her partner nods.

"Maybe a little bit more than that," Jessica giggles fondly at the remembrance of the girl with the blonde streak.

"I'm glad that you at least had your comfort in the two eras when I was gone," Taeyeon let her grip go to reach at the glass of water on the bedside counter, sipping it carefully with Jessica's eyes not once leaving her. "What made you return?"

"Oh I wasn't about to!" Jessica let out a boisterous laugh. "Okay, look, I literally was about to spend my entire life walking around aimlessly with SinB in tow, but we were at the R-continent when we met a berserk."

Taeyeon raises an eyebrow. "And?"

"And well, I was trying to save my ass back then, but SinB just suddenly went to a trance, mumbling some kind of a spell and summoned some magic circle that trapped the beast... and the berserk lost all its power then turned back normal."

Jessica is shaking her head now, as if she herself is not fully believing of what did her apprentice do. "So of course, the first thought that came to my mind was how she should be able to turn _you_ normal! I asked whether she can do it again and maybe bigger and stronger and she– she–"

The falcon wheezes. "She just looked at me incredulously and said–"

_"Of course I can. That was basic magic called The Flower of Paradise. My Dad've been teaching me that for my whole life. Are there no magic manipulation in this lower world? You guys are seriously pathetic."_

"I smacked her after that, of course, no one's gonna ridiculed my world even if she is some kind of a demigod's daughter. I reconfirmed that with her and she chased some other berserk to convince me. Then the next thing we do was that we packed up, I called Sunny only to know that your new challengers are on the way to hunt you down, and she asked your prodigy –what was her name?– to teleport us here and put an end to it all."

Taeyeon chuckles, enjoying the way Jessica narrates to her animatedly. When the falcon finally comes to a stop, she wipes a single tear that escapes her eye and lets out a happy sigh.

"I guess it all paid off in the end."

"Maybe Eric Mun was not that bad," Jessica commented, nodding her head. "Maybe he chose this harsh way because he know that his daughter is more than able to heal you. As the payment for my patience? Who knows? I mean, all we were told in this 'lower world' was that The Flower of Paradise is a literal flower, not a magic spell. Heck, that was sooo misleading."

"SinB can basically heal every berserk Anihuman there are, then?"

"Nah, I don't think she's up to the task. Maybe when she's older and stronger."

"But she said she was afraid of me because I was scary."

"You were hideous back then. Maybe that what made her afraid of you."

"Maybe, maybe," the Dragon giggles for another few second, returning to staring at her companion who now has her lips widen in a giddy smile. "So you'll stay, Sica?"

Jessica was quick to turned back gloomy at the question. "No. IU knows I'm here and she's been sending messages nonstop to make sure that my presence is still hidden from the eyes of the council. If leader BoA knows that I'm here, we're doomed. I ain't gonna make us anymore trouble than necessary, Taengoo."

Despite her disappointment, Taeyeon knows better than to be stubborn. She accepted with a heavy heart, simply providing her support by tugging the younger girl to lean closer so she can hugs her. Jessica smiles, circling her arms around the older's back and pats her shoulder blades softly.

"I thought we might train the girls together again. Just like old times."

The falcon chuckles.

"We can't. But I'll still be here until the end of the week."

When their hug broke, Taeyeon has her eyes glassy with tears.

"We'll meet again, someday. I promise we will. Once I stepped down. Once SM Region is not ours anymore. Once we're free. I'll find you. We'll find each other. Always."

"You always make such great promises," Jessica laughs a breathless laugh, having her own tears brimming at the edge of her eyes. "And I always believe in it."

Taeyeon sniffles, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to prevent her tears from pouring down, letting the younger girl buries her face to her shoulder and pulls Jessica tighter against her body.

"And I promise that you can hold on to it."

 

_To be continued..._

 


	28. TWICE Training Starts!

Chapter 28

 

"You're really happy nowadays, Nayeon."

The young Anihuman who was singing her lungs out while washing her dishes paused, turning to face her keeper who was standing at the doorway. Giggling, Nayeon put the plates down to approach her keeper and took her hands in between hers.

"Of course I would! Unnie, we're going to be trained by the strongest Anihuman team alive! Who wouldn't be thrilled for that?" Nayeon exclaimed cheerfully, jumping up and down in front of Wheein to emphasize her point.

The petite keeper only smiles, letting her sister do whatever. After the whole trouble with chasing the true leader of SM Region, Nayeon and Tzuyu are significantly happier. Probably because nothing else will hinder them from the upcoming third exam. Taeyeon had visited them earlier this week, tied to a wheelchair and the ever-present IV-line, expressing her utmost gratitude for the girls and the keepers, even going as far as promising to grant the keepers each a wish–any wish, when the third examination ends.

The word 'end' sent an uncomfortable tug to Wheein's heart, but she decided to keep her silence because her sisters are at their own cloud nine these days. Nayeon, being Nayeon, just becomes more and more active and giggly. Tzuyu, though. She smiles more and is improving in her interpersonal relation, less snarky and less savage.

Understandable. Her sisters are all thrilled to be able to train with the best of the best –heck, if Wheein herself is one of the Anihumans, she'll be thrilled as fuck as well– to become a stronger Anihuman. Tiffany, who now seems more cheerful, less strained and less stressed, had told them to prepare because Soshi team won't be that lenient to the girls, yet they still happily looking forward to the training days.

"I'm sure you'll do great," Wheein said after realizing that she'd been inside her mind for too long. She pats the deer's head, making Nayeon grins ear-to-ear and hugs her sister tightly.

"We'll do our best! I promise!"

###

"MINA-UNNIE! CATCH!"

"STOP PLAYING WITH ME I– BALLS!"

Yongsun shook her head at the hysterical laugh made by the Red Kangaroo at the corner of the couch, elated because she just succeeded in tricking her older member by throwing a ball straight to the wall. Across the room, Mina whines, rubbing her sore face for she just kissed the wall in full speed.

The she-wolf then turned, angrily, and Dahyun had to stop laughing because Mina tackled her to the floor.

"I'm sorryyyyy!!! I'm sorryyyyyy!!" Dahyun half yells half chokes, struggling to free herself from Mina's death grip on her chest and the relentless tickle on the sides of her stomach.

"I told you not to play with me!" the older of the two snarled. Her fingers are now jabbing Dahyun's waist until the younger lost almost all the air in her lungs.

"But you are so cute when you chased the b- AAAHHH!!"

Mina bites Dahyun's exposed neck violently.

"Mina I didn't know you are into biting."

It took only one second after Jihyo said that for Mina to release her breathless victim, jumping to the unaware Phoenix and starts mauling her as well.

"AHHHH WHY ARE YOU ASSAULTING ME ALSO!!!"

Jihyo flails to no avail, weak under Mina's grip and could only breath when Yongsun decided to step in. She pulls the wolf by her collar, ignoring Mina's protesting whine as she put the black-haired girl to the couch, glaring when Mina squints her eyes in challenge.

"Minari, seriously?" Yongsun giggled. She strokes the Anihuman's hair once to make Mina calm down. "You're going to turn into a literal dog if you continue like this."

"But she started it!" Mina pointed to Dahyun stubbornly.

The pink-haired keeper shook her head. Her once calmest, most reserved sister had changed into someone more active and a bit more easily triggered –for the better or the worse– to the point of no return. "Yeah, I know, but you've been acting like your wolf counterpart for the better part of the week. You're an Ani _human_ you know. You ought to act properly depending on your surrounding. To be an Animal or a human. You can't blame your instinct when you have your conscience to stop yourself. You have to work on your situational assessment, Minari."

"But–!"

Yongsun gave her a pointed look.

Mina sags. "Okay, unnie. I'm sorry. I'll try to tone it down."

"Awww," the keeper grins, then pulling the younger girl to her embrace. "It's okay. You're growing. You'll experience some changes but do remember to take notice of your surrounding, okay?"

The black-haired Anihuman nodded, already happy again clear from the wide smile on her face. "We all change! But Jihyo-unnie seems a bit weak these days."

"Oh, you tell me," the Phoenix groans, unwilling to lift herself off the ground, ignoring Dahyun who slumped herself over her. "When you guys grow stronger, I grow weaker. Terrific."

"Maybe your power is shifting, you just don't know about it yet," Yongsun offers, trying to ease her sister. She noticed Jihyo had grown saddened by the fact that she somehow lost most of her fighting prowess after the whole fight with Taeyeon. It was actually been reclining since after the second examination but it was getting more and more worrying now. "You're going to train with the Soshi team in a few days. They'll be able to help you."

Jihyo sighs, burying her face to Dahyun's brown locks and closes her eyes.

"I sure am hoping they will."

###

"Sana-unnie is weird."

"You just noticed that now?"

Chaeyoung shrugged, sipping her soup straight from her bowl without any care of the world. Hyejin hit her with a wooden spoon until she put her bowl down. The two exchange glares, and the younger girl sulks when Hyejin squints her eyes in warning. Giving up, Chaeyoung took her forgotten spoon and starts eating in a manner.

"Okay, so about Sana's weirdness," Hyejin continues, satisfied that Chaeyoung obeys her. "What about it?"

The tigress tilted her chin to the phyton singing while twirling around in the kitchen. "I don't know. She's been weird from long but she's getting even stranger now."

Hyejin looks over at her reptilian sister, grimacing when Sana started doing some body wave following the music in her head. "I get that she's excited over the upcoming training sessions. But why is she like this?"

Chaeyoung shrugged again. "I'm also feeling uneasy around her at times. Like.. you know, feeling wary as if you're being watched by a pack of coyotes?"

"RUDE!"

The loud, whiny voice and the slam on the table surprised the two whispering girls. Sana is already standing at the other end of the table, pouting as she flopped down on her seat and started wolfing down her own food.

"Yha swuld," she spoke with her mouth full of salad. "Swyop tokin avout mi on wy bag."

"Stop talking about you on your bag?"

"YAH!" Sana threw a fork to Chaeyoung who dodged easily. "I _know_ you girls are conspiring something about me!"

"We aren't," Hyejin shook her head. "But you've been acting a bit weird around these days so we grew worried."

Sana giggled adorably and started wiggling again. "Awww! You care about me!"

Hyejin had to stop herself from throwing her plate to the phyton's face. Chaeyoung scooted further from her fellow Anihuman.

"No, seriously, I'm fine," Sana grins, waving her hand to stop her sisters from worrying her. "Just toooooo excited! Trust me when I say that I will return back to normal once I get a beating from the Soshi team! They won't go easy on me! I know it already!"

The keeper leans to the tiger. "I think I know what makes her weirder."

Chaeyoung shudders. "What?"

"She's a freaking masochist now."

"HEY I HEARD THAT!"

###

"So you guys are going to train in three days? For how long?"

Byulyi starts after she sat on her seat, scooping some soup to fill her stomach tonight. Momo nodded excitedly, attempting to chew her food quickly and swallows them quicker so she can answer Byulyi, only for her to choke on that one slice of cabbage. Jeongyeon sighs at the sight of her member's struggle and put a glass of water in front of the coughing vixen.

"Next time, don't chew your food. Just swallow them whole so you'll choke faster."

"You're cruel," Momo whines while Jeongyeon only grins. The bear then turned to their keeper who is already eating her share of food, content enough in seeing her sisters bickering.

"Yoona-unnie said we're going to train for a minimum of a month and a maximum of three months. Depending on our progress. I hope we all can train without any trouble along the way," Jeongyeon explains, making Byulyi nods in understanding.

"Oh, oh, you know what, unnie?" Momo adds after she's relieved from her choking earlier. "They said they'll invite another region's ruler to help our training! Wouldn't that be great?"

"Mhm," Jeongyeon butts in, also excited by the thought of training with another circle of people. "To train Jihyo and Momo, they said. Soshi team has only one Legend so they need another Legend's help!"

"That's fantastic," the oldest of the three smiles. "Another person means another head who thinks differently. You girls can take a lot of lessons from both mentors for your future. Do you know who they are?"

Momo shook her head. "Aaa not yet. Yuri-unnie said this is going to be a surprise. Honestly, I'll be okay with anyone!"

"Me too, me too," Jeongyeon agreed. "Man, I just hope one of them is a bear also. I kinda want to try 'bear wrestling' to test the actual limit of my strength. Can't risk another glass shelf coming down just because I leaned on it. The only one close enough to a bear in our team is Chaeyoung but she can't stand on her hind legs for too long."

"You can wrestle with me!"

"You have nine extra limbs Momo I'm not going to wrestle those appendages."

Gasping, the vixen reaches over the table to place a hit on the older's face only to grasp at empty air. "Come on! My tails will behave!"

"The last time you said that when we were training, Mina ended up tied to a lamp post, Jihyo tripped and fell to a pond, Sana hanged upside down on a tree and Nayeon almost broke her antlers."

Momo sulks after Jeongyeon said that. "My fault. Entirely. Sorry."

Byulyi can't help a chuckle that escapes her lips at her sisters' conversation. She tapped the table twice to catch their attention. When she succeeded, she grins and stirs her soup almost absentmindedly.

"You just have to train more to get used to your body, that's all. Jeong and Mo, both. You girls are fast learners, I believe you'll be able to control your power easily. Practice makes, perfect, remember?"

The two grin and nod at Byulyi's words. "Ne, unnie!"

"Okay, good," the keeper chuckles again. "Now eat. All three of us have a night shift. Might as well eat a lot to prepare for the long night."

"OKIE DOKIE!"

.

.

.

.

.

As promised before by Taeyeon and her team, all nine members of team TWICE are back at the massive castle of the SM Region at the end of the week. Before the actual training starts, all seventeen of them bid goodbye to Jessica and SinB, who regretfully, have to continue their journey across the world.

SinB, with her signature blonde streak on her brown locks, promised the elder Anihumans that she will definitely return to the SM Region. Either as a challenger for the throne or simply as another region's ruler paying a visit. For the short two days, she had befriended all members of TWICE, with Momo and Chaeyoung being the closest to her because of their natural high-energy and their fondness of playing around. It was disheartening for her to leave her newfound friends behind, but the council wouldn't wait any longer to hunt their necks down if they stay over the week.

"I'll be back one day!" the girl exclaimed as she hugs Momo tightly. "I'll grow strong and I'll be back one day! And then I'll beat you at arm-wrestling, Momo-unnie! That's a promise!"

Momo only laughs, patting the girl's head to show her fondness of the young Anihuman. "I can't wait! Grow up fast, B!"

The girl grinned, showing her perfect rows of teeth not fully mature yet. "I will!"

She then turned to her guardian, who is crushed in a group hug between the members of Soshi minus Taeyeon. Tiffany cries again, typical her, but Jessica only rolls her eyes fondly and once again flicked the Snow Leopard on her forehead. The falcon hugs her members each for at least ten seconds, before turning to her leader in wheelchair last.

Taeyeon simply smiles when Jessica broke their hug, brushing her hair over the falcon's blondish locks.

"Take care."

Jessica nods once, sighing with her eyes already full of longing even before she departs. "You too. So long, partner."

The Dragon bowed. "So long, partner."

They sent Jessica and SinB off from the massive front-door of the Silver Moon castle, waiting until the two were nothing more than just two dots on the horizon. Only by then does Taeyeon moved her wheelchair to face her challengers, smiling firmly at the nine eager girls.

"Okay, I guess it's time," she exhales, fingers meeting each other as she cast a glance to the younger Anihumans. "Your training period starts now, until the day we deem you worthy to take on the next, and last examination. I've promised you that we're going to have a guest, another group of mentors to help you progress in your training. Though, it seems like they're late, so I'll postpone the actual training to three hours from now. You're free to do anything in the meantime, and we'll meet at the backyard once we're all ready. Are we clear?"

"Ne, unnie!" comes the immediate response.

Taeyeon nods in satisfaction at the chorused answer from the younger Anihumans. "I expect great things from you, team TWICE. With that well said, please enjoy your stay. I'll be in my room if you need anything."

Tiffany took the cue to help Taeyeon by pushing her wheelchair to her room, despite the latter's protest. Left by their leaders, the Soshi team all split up, going to their own activities until the promised hour. Chaeyoung and Mina decided to follow Yuri to her personal training yard, wanting to see the lioness in action to take some notes. Tzuyu went with Seohyun, both going to fly some rounds to let the wind caresses their feathers.

Jeongyeon follows Sooyoung to try to get some exercise before the real training starts, with Nayeon tagging along because she doesn't know who to follow. Sunny took Dahyun under her wings as she noticed the Kangaroo's heightened medical power and decided to bring her to the library to read some more books about aura manipulation in the medical field. Yoona asked Sana to join her sunbathing on the roof, which the phyton immediately agreed to. Momo tags along Hyoyeon for the seasoned defender is about to patrol the region.

Meanwhile, Jihyo, having nothing else to do and not quite interested in her other members' activities, chose to stroll around the wide castle, imprinting the interior to her brain. She was fascinated to see beautiful paintings on one of the rooms, obviously belongs to one of the Soshi members because of the scattered canvases and palettes. She admires the high walls, the heavy curtains swaying lazily in the winds, the shining floor under the sunlight, the colored glass on some of the windows, and the simple yet mesmerizing interior design of the Silver Moon castle.

A few minutes of walking around with no actual destination in mind, Jihyo came across a massive wooden door at the darker side of the castle. There's a carving of the Silver Moon symbol on the door, and some ancient words engraved to the walls lining it. She was just looking over the words to admire it, not once trying to decipher it when a rough voice resounds from beside her.

"'Here once lays the great king G-Dragon' is what the words are saying."

Jihyo turned in surprise.

"That room used to be King GD's personal room, and the rulers after him decided to keep it intact as a tribute to him."

Standing not far from the bewildered Phoenix is a short girl, probably around Taeyeon's height or maybe even shorter. She has pitch black hair that shines dark red when the sunlight hits her in an angle, almost like Momo's rainbow fur. She wears a black leather jacket, black  crop top that shows her toned abdomen, and black leather pants secured by a belt and some chains tied to her pocket.

"That's a new info for you, eh?"

Jihyo noticed the girl smirking at her, showing her uneven incisors with sharp fangs jutting from the side of her lips.

But Jihyo couldn't be more careless.

"Pretty girl."

Because the moment her eyes met the wild silver of the girl's irises, for the first time in her life, Jihyo had felt what she later calls as an absolute fear.

 

_To be continued..._


	29. A Flash of Lightning

Chapter 29

 

When the three hours recess comes to an end, Dahyun was the second to arrive at the backyard. Sunny dismissed her for a while to take care of something in her room, and the kangaroo chose not to wait for the Red Panda and headed up to the designated meeting spot. She grinned when she caught sight of the lone Phoenix sitting under the shades of a tree at the corner of the vast clearing.

Dahyun pranced happily to her leader, wanting to tackle the seemingly daydreaming girl only to slows down when she noticed the troubled expression on her leader. Clearing her throat, Dahyun approaches Jihyo cautiously for she jolted at the rustle of Dahyun's shoes against the fallen leaves.

"Unnieee.." Dahyun smiled and dove to snuggle Jihyo, which the older girl accepted readily and wrapped her arms around Dahyun's slightly smaller frame. After Dahyun is comfortable in her embrace, Jihyo sighs, running her palm almost absentmindedly over Dahyun's brown hair.

"What's up, Dubu?"

Dahyun raised her head in a questioning manner. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

Jihyo exhaled. "Maybe you should."

Seeing the growing anxiety in Jihyo's feature, Dahyun shifted so she's facing the Phoenix. She propped herself on her elbows to be able to grasp Jihyo's hand. "Is something wrong?"

Dahyun could feel the slight shudder on Jihyo's body as the older closes her eyes. When Jihyo tilted her chin to take a deep breath, Dahyun saw three red lines on the older's jaw, a cut that probably bled a bit before it closes.

"I met someone."

The kangaroo blinks. "Huh?"

"I don't... know who she was but–" Jihyo shudders again and Dahyun had to grip her harder to stop her from shaking. "I felt... I was afraid, Dubu she– she was so... peculiar. She doesn't feel right, you know? Like– like if you're looking at a berserker. Wild. Crazed? Maybe, I don't really know."

"Like looking at Taeyeon-unnie when she was still a berserk?"

Jihyo shook her head. "Worse. I don't know what is wrong with her but she said something along the line that she l-likes me, and– and I didn't really remember but she suddenly had me pinned on the wall clawing my face and she said she– she's looking forward for our next meeting."

Dahyun knows better than to probe further as Jihyo breathes out, trembling rather hard and the kangaroo put her arms around the Phoenix, rubbing her back to soothe her. Jihyo took her time to calm herself, and by the time she's breathing evenly, Dahyun already has her unnie's head tucked to the crook of her neck.

"I'm– I'm afraid... Dahyunnie. What if we're really going to meet each other at another time? What should I do if I really will meet her again?"

Humming, Dahyun strokes Jihyo's red hair softly. "I think we should tell the Soshi team. They might be able to help you. Do you know her name?"

"No... she never said hers but she knew mine," Jihyo murmured. "She called me 'Park'. Dahyun... no other people aside from our examiners and keepers are supposed to know our surname before we officially declared to be rulers. I– I– how could she–"

"Shhh," Dahyun tapped Jihyo's waist to stop her words. "It's alright. You'll be fine. We're here, right? We've promised that anything happens, we'll try to solve it together? You got me? That girl... whoever she was, we'll face her together. Okay, unnie?"

Despite the doubt clouding her mind, Jihyo opted to believe in Dahyun's comforting words. She knows that Dahyun would never have the heart to lie to her, and after their face-off against Taeyeon, she also knows that her members now will never let her out of their watchful eyes. They have her back just like how she has theirs.

She's going to be okay, she has her team, afterall.

And Jihyo sighed, closing her eyes to relax for a bit before her team returned to the castle, listening to Dahyun's steady heartbeat.

She was not aware of a pair of dark brown eyes watching her from the clear window of Taeyeon's personal room.

###

"No, unnie."

Taeyeon quirked her eyebrow at the voice from her left, from a girl staring to somewhere beyond her bedroom window. She smiled for a bit before adjusting herself on her wheelchair. Tiffany, who was standing beside her all the time, immediately moved to help her by pushing her wheelchair, but Taeyeon sent a meaningful look to her and Tiffany nodded, returning back to her position.

The Dragon glides towards the girl, sighing fondly at the knitted eyebrows and smiled even wider when she saw the girl's object of attention.

"Why not?" chuckling, Taeyeon nudged the black-haired girl's wrist to turn her attention to her. "From what I heard from Ppany and the other, Jihyo's a brilliant girl. I believe she will learn and will master her power if you teach her to do so."

"It's not that," the girl chewed her lower lip, fumbling with the chains on her pants as she hesitates. "I believe she will do great, but I think... I think it would be better if you're the one who teaches her? Haha... I mean, you both are the leaders of your respective team, so..."

Taeyeon shrugged. "The lesson about being a leader is a different thing in entirety. I asked you to mold her power, because I noticed right away that her power is similar to yours."

"Similar, yes," the girl grumbled. "But still... we're too different. I might... I might lead her to the wrong style? Umm... you got me, unnie, right?"

The smirk sported by Taeyeon is enough to make the short girl shifts uncomfortably.

"Why are you so stubborn about not wanting to teach Jihyo, eh?"

The girl before Taeyeon has no chance to answer when another voice chimed in.

"Because Seungwan-unnie is a coward!"

"Shut up, Yerim!" a crackle of lightning hit a girl with dark-brown hair, who yelped and jumped behind a tall girl who has her black locks pooled at one side of her shoulder. The tall girl shook her head, eyeing the shorter girls with disinterest as another short girl glares at the one standing before Taeyeon.

"Seungwan what did I told you about attacking Yerim?"

Hearing the scolding coming her way, Seungwan wails. "I shouldn't."

"And?"

Seungwan wails again. "But Joohyun-unnie she–!"

Joohyun glares. " _And_?"

Silence for a while until Seungwan hung her head low.

"...Yes. I'm sorry. I won't do that again."

A tap on her shoulder made Joohyun turned her attention to her right. Her hard gaze immediately melts at the soft smile given to her by her companion, who pulled her to her side and squished her smaller stature to her firm side.

"I believe Seungwan has her own reason to decline," the girl offers, smiling at the grateful look Seungwan is giving her. "May we know why?"

"Thanks, Seulgi you're the best," Seungwan wiped her imaginary tear at the older girl's understanding before she turned to Taeyeon who has her eyebrow raised. She sighed at the throb at the back of her head, willing the whispers in her mind to go away and firmly answers Taeyeon's stare.

"Jihyo had met her."

Silence again. Taeyeon taps her armrest once. "Her?"

"Yeah," Seungwan nodded. " _Her_."

The six other females in the room visibly stiffened.

"Okay," Taeyeon hummed. "That's surprising."

"EXACTLY."

"Still doesn't change my decision that you should train Jihyo."

"NOOOOO–"

"Seungwan," Taeyeon called firmly and the black-haired girl clams her mouth shut. The Dragon exhales as she looks over to the backyard, watching the seven newly arrived girl playing around with Jihyo and Dahyun who seemingly had forgotten their earlier problem.

"Look, you know how TWICE team has two Legendaries on their team. And I... I'm still healing. I'll be back to my prime in at least two weeks, but even then, I can't train the both of them alone," Taeyeon shook her head when she saw Chaeyoung tackling Dahyun to the ground, maw open to bite at the older's shoulders playfully. "I've told you before about their powers, and you know how Momo's and mine are basically the exact same power manipulation."

Jeongyeon caught Nayeon's neck and starts rolling around with the older Anihuman in her hold.

"Jihyo, on the other hand..."

Sooyoung came into the picture, stopping the younger Anihumans' play-fight and sat down with team TWICE surrounding her as they talked about something.

Taeyeon turned to Seungwan who has a troubled look in her face. "That's why I asked you. You're the best Anihuman I ever trained personally and I know you have the ability to help my candidate. I understand that even your power is nowhere near hers, and now that _she_ 's... out in the open, this is going to be quite hard. But I don't know who else I could ask aside from you girls."

Seungwan hung her head low, fingers already playing with each other. There's a thrum at the back of her head and she once again wills it to go away, only for it to change into a painful throb and she snarls.

"Promise me one thing, then," Seungwan said when a sliver of white went through her brown irises. Joohyun immediately unlatches herself from Seulgi's hold to grip the younger girl's hand, followed by Seulgi who patted Seungwan's head once. Yeri simply hums and the tall girl from before exchange glances with Tiffany.

The Dragon nods. "Anything."

"If she's ever out, unless I said so, stop her," Seungwan rubs Joohyun's knuckles and sighs. "Please."

Taeyeon smiles. "You know I never break a promise, dear."

###

They were in the middle of listening to Hyoyeon talking about the region's borders when Taeyeon shows up from the door that leads to the backyard. The girls immediately stood, bowing slightly to the smiling ruler as she glides in her wheelchair, Tiffany following closely behind with a wide smile on her face.

Taeyeon nodded once at them, and Tiffany cleared her throat before she starts talking.

"Okaay now, is everybody here?"

Yoona cheered loudly until Seohyun smacked her on the back, apologizing for the snake's childish behavior. Tiffany grinned and winked to Seohyun, who only rolled her eyes as Yoona nags her noisily.

"So before we start, I'm gonna explain a few things because it seems to be the case for me, explaining everything," Tiffany giggles, swiping her hair to her left shoulder. "Today's going to be a simple inauguration. We have divided you all to be groups, according to your power level, manipulation style and, of course, your Anihuman type. From now on, you girls will be training in private with one of our team, and for some, an additional mentor from our acquaintance for the training period."

She shuffles with her skirt-pocket to find a piece of paper. "Okay, so I'll announce the teams for the training. Starting from our maknaes, Tzuyu, you have Seohyun as your mentor for only the both of you are avian Anihumans, aside from Jihyo, but she's in a different case."

Seohyun threw a smile to Tzuyu who smiles back, both already known that they'll be paired off and have been flying around the region together to know each other better for a few occasions.

"Next, Dahyunnie you go with Sunny. I believe she told you why already, eoh?"

"Yes, unnie!" Dahyun saluted Tiffany as Sunny grins and pulled the kangaroo into a hug.

"Sana you with... ah, well she handpicked you so go ahead, you two."

Tiffany rolled her eyes as Yoona and Sana cheered loudly.

"Nayeon, hmm... we were actually confused on who to pair you with, because you're the only prey between all of us. So you and Mina will go with me and Yul. Our style will be vastly different, of course, but I hope we'll be able to help you to discover yours."

Mina raised her thumbs up while Nayeon grinned. "It's okay, unnie! I'll do my best!"

"Oh, I'm glad," Tiffany smiled, her eyes turning to crescents as she moved to the next in line. "Okay, for Jeongyeon, you're going with both Sooyoung and another mentor from outside our region. I know you asked for another bear and thankfully, one of our new friends here is also a bear. You'll learn a lot of thing with both of them."

"Woah, thanks!" Jeongyeon chuckled. "Soo-unnie! I'll be looking forward to train with you!"

Sooyoung shot finger-guns to the younger Anihuman. "You too, Jeongie!"

"That leaves Chae, Mo and Ji. Chae, you will train with Hyoyeon and sometimes Yul, also one of our new mentors. While Momo and Jihyo, until Taeyeon recovered enough to participate in physical training with you, you'll be training with another region's rulers. Taeyeon will supervise, of course, and I will come by at times. You girls got me?"

Hyoyeon threw her arm across Chaeyoung's shoulders and shot Tiffany a grin, while Momo and Jihyo simply bowed at Taeyeon who exhales fondly.

"Right, so without further ado," Tiffany turned back on her heels, waving at the figures waiting in the shadows. "I'm going to introduce our new friends! They're going to be your mentors, as I had stated. Feel free to ask them anything at any time, just like you with us! Come on, girls, get in here so you can introduce yourself!"

After Tiffany finishes her speech, five young girls stepped from behind the castle door, bowing at everyone watching them. The petite one walking at the very front smiles confidently, her jet-black hair flowing gracefully with every step she takes. It's clear that she's the leader of the team. Her elegance and confidence somehow rival Taeyeon's, in a way.

Behind her is a tall girl, hair also black and she grins excitedly as she waved to the audiences. She stopped beside the petite leader, tugging her leader's sleeve with a giddy smile just like how a child would when they meet a new friend. She then turned to the girl after her, who smiles a soft smile and bowed deeply once she stopped beside the tall girl. The soft-looking girl has a brownish hair tied in a low ponytail. She raises her eyebrow in question when the tall girl from before giggled.

Following them is another petite girl with dark brown locks, who wore a mischievous smirk when she caught sight of Jihyo. She bowed once, waving and cleared her throat before she stepped before her other members.

Jihyo furrowed her brow as she noticed the last girl smirking at her, her mind already asking 'why' when another girl steps into the light.

If it's not for Dahyun's arm linked to hers, Jihyo must have fallen already.

"Unnie?"

Dahyun noticed Jihyo's faltering figure and holds her tighter.

"Unnie are you okay?!" Dahyun whispered urgently to Jihyo's ears, trying to hold the Phoenix steady. Thankfully, they were at the very back of the crowd so no one pays any attention to them.

"D-Dubu she's–"

"Annyeonghaseyo, team TWICE. It's such an honor to be able to meet the candidates of SM Region," the first girl started, cutting Jihyo's words, bowing again before she continues. "We are from the neighboring region Red Velvet. My name's Bae Joohyun. I'm the leader of team RV. We've been asked to help you with your training, so I'm looking forward to our time together. Oh, by the way, I'm a Sumatran Tiger. Nice to meet you all, team TWICE."

"Hi!!!" once Joohyun finishes, the tall girl leaped. "I'm Park Sooyoung! Hehehe but because there's a Sooyoung in Soshi team already, you girls can call me Joy! No need for any suffixes because I think we're around the same age! I manage our region and I am a panther! Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Kang Seulgi," the soft-looking girl said firmly. "Between all felines in my team, I'm the only one who is a bear, specifically an Arctodus bear which you might never hear before. Nevermind, though. I'm the vice leader of the RV region. I'm looking forward to working with you."

At Seulgi's introduction, Jeongyeon gripped Nayeon's hand while grinning in anticipation.

"That girl looks tough," whispering to her member, Jeongyeon practically thrills as she scans over Seulgi's feature.

"She's the vice leader of their region, what do you expect?" Nayeon whispers back. "Wait, you both are vice leaders if we win this."

"I know, right?" the Kodiak bear flexes. "Boy, I'm going to have so much fun."

Unaware of the conversation between the crowds, the dark-brown-haired girl bowed. "Hi, my name's Yeri! I'm the maknae who is also the ambassador of the region. I'm a Caracal, though even if I looked cute and small in my animal form, I could still fight you! Annyeong!"

Yeri's introduction sounds cute and threatening at the same time it made the Anihumans before her furrowed their brows in confusion.

The last member of Red Velvet shifted anxiously on her feet when Yeri stopped talking, dark eyes fleeting all over the Soshi team and the new girls. She paused when she met Jihyo's gaze and she felt guilt gnawing her chest when the Phoenix's breath visibly hitched, but her eyes were drawn into another person who innocently staring at her.

Sana.

Her left eye twitched as a wave of nausea hit her.

"I– uh... hello, everyone?" she bowed once to erase her nervousness, but it only made the throb in her head even stronger. "My name's Son Seungwan. I'm the defender of the Red Velvet region, and as a fellow Legend, Taeyeon-unnie had requested me to aid you Legends in discovering your style."

She saw how Jihyo almost crumbles at her words and her head is spinning at this point, but she forces herself to continue. "I'm a Kirin, my affinity is lightning and I'm specifically a projector. You wouldn't understand my words now, but I promise I'll help you to understand better as we proceed with our training. With that said–"

Seungwan felt her vision went black for a second.

**"I'm really excited to finally meet you–"**

She gained her vision the moment she gained her consciousness back, but there's still the faint whisper of a rough voice echoing in her mind as she bowed deeply, struggling not to show her face to her audience when her eyes flickered in color, as she mumbles darkly under her breath with a voice belongs to _her_.

**"–Park."**

_To be continued..._


	30. Day Ichi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for not updating for so long :(  
> I lost my datas and also the drafts for the upcoming chapters of this fic and I kinda forgot what RV's going to do with TWICE's power growth :')  
> I'm so sorry, so I guess well have a few intermezzos of trainings and I'll try to kick back to the plot in the few next chapters  
> Enjoy, friends!

Chapter 31

 

"Faster, Mina! Faster!"

A loud voice boomed from the cliff above her, forcing Mina to move her legs faster. The pure white view of snow is really making her vision weird and she had to shook her head a few times before she regain her clear vision. But only a few seconds after she did that, a shadow stepped in front of her, halting her movement as she stares to the black-spotted white feline.

"You're still too slow, Mina."

The she-wolf panted in exhaustion, head hung low to avoid the snow leopard's icy glare. A swipe of tail just under her chin prompted her to look up, and she cringed at the flash of concern painting the yellow eyes.

"Are you okay? Do you feel anything strange?" a voice belongs to the one and only Tiffany Hwang echoes in the white nothingness.

Mina shook her head at Tiffany's question. "N-no... it's just... I'm not used with running on full snow environment like this. The sunlight reflected is making my vision weird."

"I see," Tiffany lifted her gaze from Mina, assessing their surrounding. They're in the middle of the snowy region on the northern mountain range, at the northmost border of the SM Region. It is as Mina said. The only thing they could see is snow, white plain spanning with seemingly no end. The wind blows harshly, bringing pelts of icicles that were caught between their similarly white coat.

"Can you still run?"

Mina nodded. "Yes, but... I don't know what to do if my eyes got blurry again."

"I'll tell you what to do," Tiffany turned on her heels and once again swiped Mina on her chin with her fluffy tail. "Come. Run with me."

They started with a simple jog, that escalates into a faster run as they speed through the snow. Tiffany is really light on her feet, despite the thick snow, moving in a speed Mina wishes she could achieve. The snow leopard seems to know when to whip her tail here and there, steering herself to avoid deeper snow and stepping into holes.

As Tiffany picked up her pace, Mina is struggling to follow her. Aside from being caught in thick layers of snow from time to time, her eyes are starting to get hazy again, blinded by the pure white environment and the strong sunlight reflected off of the snow straight to her pupils.

"Focus, Mina!"

Mina jolted in surprise when Tiffany yelled right beside her. The older Anihuman had slowed down considerably, evening her steps with Mina's. She nudged Mina to keep her upright, fangs softly biting down her nape, easily guiding Mina alongside her track.

"Use your power to feel the ground under you," Tiffany said as if she's not in the middle of running through the snow, as there is no sign of breathlessness in her steady voice. "Don't look. Don't listen. Feel. Feel the snow. Feel the wind. Feel the sun. Take it all inside and sort them to understand."

The she-wolf nodded and she tries to follow Tiffany's guidance, projecting her power to the pads of her paws and her fur. It proved to be tricky, as she ended up exerting too much power and tripped on her own feet when the speed of her muscles' movement spiked suddenly. Mina yelped as she fell, rolling on the snow for a good few meters until she finally stopped.

"I'm sorry..." Mina's ears flattened above her head, embarassed when Tiffany shook her head. She put her paws over her muzzle to hide her face. Damn, if wolves could blush, Mina's sure her face is as red as a tomato now, especially with the way Tiffany chuckled softly.

"Oh, it's fine," the snow leopard approached her and bit her nape softly, trying to tug her to stand again. "It's a bit difficult for a first timer. You'll master it in no time, though. This power manipulation is one of the basic. You just need to focus more and pay more attention to your own body."

Despite still feeling embarassed, Mina nodded nonetheless, listening to Tiffany with rapt attention. She rose to her feet when Tiffany bit her again, shrugging the snow off her body with a few violent jerks.

"So, are you still up to train today?" Tiffany raised her furry eyebrow. "Remember we still have a long way to go."

"Yes, I can," Mina shook off a few more snow on her fur. "I'm alright. Let's go!"

###

"First rule of being a hunter!"

Chaeyoung felt fear creeping under her skin at the airy voice from somewhere around her. She's currently crouching under the shades of the trees, belly flat on the forest floor, ears flicking frantically to try to locate the source of the voice. The Sabertooth Tigress is trying her hardest to hide her bulky, orange colored body in the all green environment.

"Stealth! Even if you're big and miscolored, you can still hide yourself if you know what to do! I can hear your breathing sound, Chaeyoung! Strike one! Two more strikes and I'll pounce on you for real!"

Crap. Chaeyoung laid lower to the ground, trying to even out her breathing. Her mentor for the day, Joohyun, is nowhere to be found. Sure, Chaeyoung could hear Joohyun's voice barking instructions, but the Sumatran Tigress is too smart and agile for her to follow. One second, she thought Joohyun is near, breathing down her neck staring at her with eyes full of judgement. The next second, Joohyun is high up on the tree, yelling at her to keep moving.

Chayoung took a step forward, cringing when her paw landed on some dry leaves and made a rustling sound.

"Pay attention to your surrounding, Chaeyoung! Remember, what around you is not only what you can see! Listen, feel, smell! I heard that and now I can certainly see your orange ass! Strike two!"

Just where the hell that woman is?!

Swallowing back a groan, Chaeyoung ignored Joohyun and took another step forward, this time more careful with the debris on the ground. She managed to avoid most dry leaves and rotten twigs with her front paws. But just when she breathes in relief, one of her hind legs stepped on a broken branch and made a loud cracking noise.

"Continue that and your prey will run in a split second! Strike three! One last chance, dear. Be prepared!"

The Sabertooth Tigress gulped at the threat, knowing full well that this lesson will end in her absolute failure. First lesson and she failed already. Joohyun had challenged her to a hunting lesson, which Chaeyoung accepted quite cockily, saying that she had been used with being a feline she won't have that much of a trouble.

She regrets that now.

She's certainly in so much trouble since the very first second, with Joohyun practically molded into the forest environment while she stuck like a sore thumb between all the dark green. She asked herself how does Joohyun hid herself, as the older Anihuman also has an orange coat, just darker in color. But Joohyun gave her no answer, only urging her to continue to their destination with the Sumatran Tigress continuing on haunting her every steps with her wispy voice and ghost-like appearance.

"Twenty meters more until our promised goal, Chaeyoung! Use your last chance wisely!"

Chaeyoung gritted her teeth, trying to consider the pros and cons of keeping her stealth. She doesn't think that she's able to keep silent, as she gazes forward to find denser shrubbery blocking her path. There's a thought flashed in her mind to discard her stealth and just run to Joohyun's landmark and she found herself hesitating.

_Oh, fuck stealth_

Making up her mind, Chaeyoung sprinted. She focused her full power to her legs to propel her towards her goal, hoping that she's fast enough to reach it before Joohyun put her down. Adrenaline rushes her entire being as she ran through the forest, branches be damned, ignoring the prick of wood on her skin when she barrels her way out.

But then there's a soft snarl coming from her left, and the only thing registered in her brain is that she's dead.

True enough. A second later, a body slammed her from her back, forcing her down and sent the two rolling on the ground fighting for dominance. Chaeyoung might be bigger and stronger, but Joohyun's manouver made her able to trip Chaeyoung, destroying her balance and ended up pinning Chaeyoung on her back to the ground, clawed paws pressing down on her chest.

"I told you to go stealthy," Joohyun snickered, enjoying the way the younger Anihuman growls in embarassment. "But there you go ignoring me. I told you I'll pounce if you can't keep your stealth."

"But I can't be stealthy!" Chaeyoung whined. "Why don't you teach me how to fight better? I promise I'll be good!"

"Battle might be nice, but keep in mind to resort to violence last," Joohyun stepped back from Chaeyoung's chest, allowing her to stands up to her feet. "Battles take a lot of energy. And if you're not careful, aside from being injured, you can also spend a lot of energy you can actually keep for more urgent matters. I teach you to be stealthy because battling a surprised opponent takes less time and less power to win."

"But being stealthy takes a lot of power, too!"

"It doesn't take a lot of power but a lot of patience, which you clearly don't have," the teasing made Chaeyoung pouts even when Joohyun bumped her shoulder to her chest. "Trust me, you'll appreciate the stealthy way more once you understand. I promise I'll teach you the tricks in battling after you're successful in being stealthy."

Chaeyoung perked up at that. "You promise?"

Joohyun nodded and Chaeyoung fisted her paw. "Alright! Let's start again!"

"Just don't sprint like before or I'll make sure to punish you properly," Joohyun smiled at the Sabertooth Tigress' antics. Just after Joohyun finished talking, a flash of light illuminates them. She immediately raised her head to see yellowish lightnings striking down from the sky.

"Oh, storm?"

"No," Joohyun shook her head. "Seungwan."

"W- Seungwan-unnie did that?!" with a gaping mouth and disbelief, Chaeyoung watches as the lightning strikes continues. "So that's the power caliber of a Legend Anihuman? Can Jihyo-unnie and Momo-unnie do that too?"

The Sumatran Tigress shook her head again. "No, only Seungwan could."

"Not even Taeyeon-unnie?"

"No."

"Waahhh..." Chaeyoung clapped her hands. "That's so cool!"

"Well, people call her the Storm Bringer not for no reason," a small smile crept on Joohyun's lips but died quickly as her expression turns blue. "People call her _that_ for a reason, too."

"Pardon?" the younger leaned closer for Joohyun had mumbled her last sentence, but she only shook her head and smiles.

"It's nothing. Come on, I'll show you how to train your patience."

###

"I'm beat."

Momo groaned as she lays down on the ground, her entire body aching after the rigorous training session with the three Red Velvet members. Beside her, Jihyo is also laying down, arms crossed over her eyes as the younger girl pants heavily, her left leg twitching.

"Ji?" the vixen nudged the Phoenix who answered her with a tired moan. "You okay?"

"After being electrocuted on the ass?" Jihyo wailed. "I'm surprised I can still feel my legs."

"In Seungwan-unnie's defense, it was your fault," the two Anihumans looked up at the light voice above them, finding Yeri grinning with her hands joined behind her back. The caracal sat down, patting Jihyo's hips and sending unpleasant jolts all over her sore limbs. "She told you she'll zap you if you keep on doing the same mistake."

"Well, I just didn't expect it to be on my ass," the Phoenix groaned, rolling over to her stomach to relieve the pain on her lower extremities.

"Ji, she zapped me on my nape. My back is still tingling until now," Momo added. One of her hands reaching to her back, trying to massage it a bit. The vixen cast her gaze to the two figures conversing in the middle of the clearing.

Seungwan had told the two to take a rest, while she herself is strolling around the plain, her electricity still cackling with life around her. Joy had approached Seungwan once Momo and Jihyo laid down under the shade of a tree. Now, the two is having quite a heated conversation (in Momo's eyes) what with Seungwan scowling and maybe yelling a thing or two to Joy while the taller Anihuman keeps on gripping the shorter's shoulders with force.

"This is tougher than I thought," Jihyo mumbled softly.

"If it's not tough, it's not a Legendary Anihumans' training session," Yeri joined them by sitting down beside Jihyo, rolling the pendant of her necklace between her fingers. The pendant is shaped similar to Red Velvet's symbol, containing the letters R and V on top of three red claw marks. "You're lucky Taeyeon-unnie hadn't joined in yet. She's more cruel than Seungwan-unnie and certainly less forgiving. At least Seungwan-unnie just electrocuted you two, not burning your ass off."

A chorused gasp came from the two Legends.

"Taeyeon-unnie did _what_?"

"I mean, just take a look at Seungwan-unnie's hair!" Yeri's exclamation made the two whipped their head to Seungwan, who is now walking towards them, paying attention to her hair which shined red under the sunlight.

"I-it becomes red because Taeyeon-unnie burnt it?" Jihyo asked nervously.

Yeri shrugged. "Nah. I told you to take a look because it's so silky."

Jihyo facepalmed and Momo groaned to the sky. Yeri laughed loudly at their reaction.

"I'm just kidding, guys, relax! It's only the first day and you look like you're dying already," the caracal patted Jihyo's shoulder, as if to relieve the Phoenix from her sore muscles. "We still have a long way to go."

"I don't know whether to be thrilled or terrified by that," Jihyo rolled her eyes.

Yeri grinned at her, wanting to say something back but stopped when Joy called her. The girl's mood immediately shifted from playful to serious, growing even more solemn when she reached her two unnies. Joy is crossing her arms over chest while Seungwan is holding her forehead, seemingly in pain as the two said something to Yeri in a hushed voice.

"I only know by now that Seungwan's lightning can change to the color blue," Momo suddenly blurted out. She's still interested in watching over the mentors' conversation. Hearing her words, Jihyo rolled to her back, inspecting the electricity moving around Seungwan's legs and arms.

"Mhm, that's pretty cute."

"Cute?"

"I mean... cool, yeah, cool."

Just then, the maknae of the Red Velvet region jogged back to them. "Jihyo-sshi! Momo-sshi!"

Momo sat up, forehead crinkled in confusion at Yeri's call. She might seemed calm but Momo could detect a hint of panic in her voice. "What is it?"

"Seungwan-unnie is feeling a bit under the weather," the caracal reasoned when she's close enough with the two Legends. "She said we should end the training for now. We'll train again tomorrow at the same time, same place. You guys can go home now."

"Is Seungwan okay?" concern is apparent on Jihyo's voice as she asks Yeri, not so different with Momo who is looking at the petite Legend with worry.

"She's fine, don't worry–"

Joy yelled, calling Yeri from her spot of hugging Seungwan, supporting the Kirin's body with her own.

"–maybe less fine than I thought. We'll be on our way, then! Bye!"

She then sprinted to Seungwan and Joy, who both threw an apologetic grin to Jihyo and Momo, then vanished with a flash of thunder. It was already known that Seungwan possesses the same teleportation ability with Sooyoung, but still, Momo and Jihyo were amazed by the show of power. The two sat in silence for a little while until Momo groaned.

"Oh, fuck, my body is still as well losing all its bones."

"I'm not losing my bones but they might as well broken," Jihyo answered Momo with a groan on her own. "What do you think made Seungwan like that? She seems pale."

"Oohhh..." Momo giggled, wiggling her eyebrows to Jihyo who knit her eyebrows in confusion. "You said you were afraid of her. You care for her, now?"

Jihyo choked on her own spit. "N-not like that! I mean... yes, I was afraid. But she looks nice, don't you think so? I'm just worried, her condition worsens quickly!"

"Mhm... sure, sure."

"I'm serious!"

The vixen grinned again, but then pat Jihyo's head before she lays back down. "You were right, though, she seems paler than earlier. Maybe she exerted too much power in training us?"

"Maybe..." Jihyo trailed off. "Well... I just hope she'll be okay tomorrow."

"Ooooo..."

"Cut it out, Hirai," the Phoenix whipped her hand to slap Momo's arm, which then earned her a giggle from the vixen. "We should go home, you know. If they had dismissed us, we should take good use of our free time and rest."

Momo whined a bit at Jihyo's suggestion. "I would love to go home, but I also would love to stay here for a little while until I'm able to get up without hearing the creaks of my bones."

Jihyo paused, heaved a sigh then closes her eyes.

"I guess you do have a point."

 

_To be continued..._

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Nice to meet you :D  
> I've always wanted to write a fic, so this is my first shot on making one  
> I'm not a native english speaker, so if you spotted something wrong, do tell me so I might improve  
> This story is also on AFF under the same name XD
> 
> Please enjoy!


End file.
